One time, I saw a man collapse on the sidewalk. Witnessing something like that is already traumatic, but seeing that no one was reacting was perhaps even worse. I doubted myself too: should I go check on him? After a few seconds of hesitation, I decided to approach the man who seemed to be having a medical emergency. Eventually, others came closer as well, but I always wonder: what if I hadn’t moved? Would someone else have stepped in? Honestly, I’m not so sure, and that’s because of the bystander effect. Let me explain.
The bystander effect, also known as the diffusion of responsibility, is a psychosocial phenomenon that occurs when we are witnesses to an emergency situation, such as the distress of the man described in my introduction, but no one intervenes.
The Murder of Kitty Genovese
Unfortunately, this phenomenon was brought to light following a terrible event: the murder of Kitty Genovese. She was raped and murdered just a few meters from her home in New York in 1964. Despite the presence of 38 witnesses, no one intervened or called the police during the attack, which lasted over half an hour 😥. |
This tragic event sparked numerous studies in social psychology to understand why no one stepped in to help the young woman.
Bibb Latané and John Darley were the first researchers to study the bystander effect. This phenomenon occurs for the following reasons:
When several people witness an emergency, we tend to assume that someone else will take responsibility and intervene. The more witnesses there are, the stronger this feeling becomes. We feel less personally responsible to act, thinking others will do it. This dilution of individual responsibility leads to collective inaction 😅.
We tend to conform to the behavior of the group. If no one reacts in an emergency, we might interpret this as a sign that the situation isn’t serious or doesn’t require intervention 🤷♀️. The inaction of others influences our own behavior, creating a kind of reversed escalation of commitment, encouraging us to remain passive so as not to deviate from the apparent social norm. It all comes down to us constantly looking for approval.
Intervening in an emergency can be intimidating. Personally, I’ve experienced fear of being judged and of making the situation worse when approaching the man who appeared to be unwell... When we lack self-confidence, we are more vulnerable to social judgment, which reinforces inaction 😖!
>>> Read; How does the fear of the unknown dictate our choices?
Sometimes, it can be difficult to determine whether a situation truly requires intervention. For example, if you see a couple arguing violently in the street ⚡, should you step in or not? In such cases, it’s best to observe until the situation becomes clearer (and refer to the violence scale). Either nothing serious will happen, or you’ll feel compelled to act.
This is the tendency to interpret others’ inaction as a sign that everything is fine, even if internally we feel concerned. We think we’re the only ones perceiving the seriousness of the situation because others appear calm and indifferent.
In reality, it’s likely that other witnesses share the same concern but don’t express it, each relying on the apparent reactions of others. This creates a vicious cycle where everyone’s inaction reinforces that of others...
I decided to take action because I thought to myself, if this happened to me, I would want someone to step in and not leave me lying helpless on the sidewalk 😅. It’s essential to show empathy for others and ignore what people might think. If they choose not to intervene, that’s their problem, not ours.
We must take responsibility and recognize that we all have a moral duty to help someone in distress.
The best part (or perhaps the worst 🤐) is that many people are trained in first aid, myself included. Sure, it’s been a while, but I still remember the recovery position and the Heimlich maneuver. And if we’re ever unsure, we can always call emergency services 🚑!
However, if we decide to intervene, there’s a high chance that the bystander effect will break, and others will be encouraged to help as well.
If people still don’t react, we can always explicitly call on someone: “You, ma’am in the red coat, please call an ambulance!” This breaks the diffusion of responsibility and sets an example, proving that stepping in is the right thing to do 🙏.
Editorial Opinion: Breaking inaction and inspiring othersThe bystander effect reminds us how crucial it is to overcome hesitation and take the initiative to act in emergencies. Every action counts, and our intervention can not only save a life but also inspire others to do the same. By breaking the cycle of inaction, we become agents of change and models of courage and responsibility.🤗 Understanding ourselves, accepting ourselves, finding happiness... It starts here and now! |
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