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It’s the social phenomena characterized by the lack of action by someone, in a situation of emergency, when there are other people present.
The murder of Catherine ‘Kity’ Genovese triggered psychology research into this phenomena also known as ‘Genovese’ Syndrome. Catherine Genovese was stabbed in two separate occasions and she screamed for help, however, no one reacted except some neighbours during the first attack. The murderer walked away and minutes later, he came back, found her crawling on the stairs and stabbed her to death. The neighbours were described by the press as unhearted people indifferent to someone’suffering. However, after several research it was clarified that uncertainty, and not indifference, is what might make the neighbours show a bystander behaviour.
Latane and Darley found several factors wich conform the bystander effect. The neighbours, despite, the newspaper claim, were not aware of the homicide and they thought someone else must have already called the police so they did nothing causing a dissolution of responsability. Another factors like the nature of the situation (at night, when people is less willing to help, the possibility of it being a lovers’ quarrel), cost of helping ( of it was a real danger, neighbours were afraid of becoming involved, if it wasn’t they would been shouted and look silly) justify the absence of responsability.
Another case involved a 18 years old switchboard operator who was raped in her office but she mananged to escape to the street and screamed for help. The 40 persons watched her struggle with the rapist who tried to drag her back upstairs.
Unlike the Genovese case, this time, the bystanders could see each other and therefore, looked for clues to analyse the danger of the situation, as everybody remained clam the situation was considered harmless (pluralistic ignorance). Other factors like the nature of the victim ( a woman and a male struggling might suggest that they are partners) and the nature of the situation ( it appears a fear of looking silly at inverning and being shouted to mind your own business) confirm that help is not necessary.
Another case was the one in wich a 18 years old boy was stabbed and left bleeding to death. This time the cost of helping was higher than normal even with the attackkers gone as no one wanted to be involved with someone who had been stabbed for fear to attract attention upon themselves also. Besides, there is no sense of gultiy since a train wagoon with around thirty passengers all those who do nothing are equally guilty and no one will point at a single individual and consider him the culprit.
The stages that lead one person to help another might be more complex than we thought. Factors seemingly ordinary as the nature of the victimm or the cost of helinpg are really important for the individual. Besides, seeing the bystander behaviour as a common phenomena in our society, we might end up thinking that altruism does not exist as most of our actions seem selfish.
As empathy decreases every day and we no longer see our neighbours or the person beside us close to us but as strangers of unknown intentions, it was a matter of time that evaluating the risks of helping someone on their looks was regarded afar more prudent than taking responsability and some risks along with it.
A helpful behaviour requires from the individual that his understanidng of the others can beffectively put into practice through a sense of care an responsability of them.
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