Crime Safety Security
Newsletter
24 March 2009

BYSTANDER EFFECT

As Castleton State College instructor Linda Wiggin was being beaten to death in her home allegedly by her boyfriend, David Denny, at least one person heard her repeated cries for help. Yet no one called police until days later. ... Evan Harrington, a social and forensic psychologist says that onlookers to a criminal act who are part of a crowd often reinforce such beliefs by looking to their fellow bystanders to see how they react and imitate the actions of those around them or the belief that someone else in the group will or already has called for help. ... While there are sometimes those in a crowd concerned with their own safety, and thus unwilling to get involved, Harrington said he believes it's more likely that most onlookers don't believe what they are seeing. That sort of thinking factors into incidents of domestic abuse, as well, he said. ... From a victim's point of view, Harrington said the best way to get help in an emergency is to be specific when calling for help. "Rather than diffuse the responsibility, you should put it on one witness, even if it amounts to pointing at someone in particular and saying 'Hey, you, call the police.' "
Excerpted from The Rutland Herald (VT) – 30 November 2008

BYSTANDER APATHY

Professor Helen Cowie, a psychologist specializing in "bystander apathy" says, "Sometimes people think that this is a new phenomenon, but it’s not. We need to understand the social dynamics of a situation to understand why people show reluctance to help others." ... "When people are alone, they are more likely to take action but when a group remains inactive the percentage of people who will take action plummets. They feel embarrassed about standing out," Cowie says. "They also are more likely to minimise the danger when they see no one else taking action." Also, the more people present at an emergency, the greater the diffusion of responsibility. "People decide that there must be someone else more qualified than they are to take responsibility for intervening to help. If someone is a friend of the victim, they are much more likely to intervene." ... For Professor Cowie, the technique of intervention is key: "It's pointless to put yourself in danger needlessly, but there are many ways to help a person in distress. I once saw a man who was violently threatening his wife. A crowd surrounded him silently but intently. After a few minutes he stopped shouting and left the scene." To stop and help someone, or challenge behaviour you find unacceptable, requires a split-second decision: perhaps it's a decision you need to take theoretically before you're confronted with it. Would you risk your life to help a stranger?
Excerpted from The Independent (UK) – 21 March 2009

Learn more about this thorny issue at Rescuing a Victim Safely and The Kitty Genovese Syndrome & Yelling “Fire!” - Article Bank

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