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The Unresponsive Bystander Effect: Why Doesn T He Help?

505 Words3 Pages

(Introduction) The bystander Effect (literally the passer-by effect) can be defined as the dispersion of responsibility that can occur during an emergency situation when people are in a group. The first Study about this effect took place after the murder, in March 1964, of Catherine Genovese (aka Kitty), that on her way home one evening after work, was stabbed to death and then raped in front of her house. This murder caused quite a stir as it turned out that there was at least 38 witnesses present or at least nearby. Of these 38 witness, the story goes that, nobody did anything to help the young woman. A few years later the social psychologists John Darley and Bibb Latane waged a research in 1970 (The unresponsive Bystander: Why doesn't He help?) about why none of the witnesses helped the …show more content…

Examples are the case of Axel Casian (2008), where in front of a father who was trampled to death the son of two years, no one did anything because according to witnesses, they were afraid that the father had something in his pocket. Among these was the chief of the volunteer fire department (person who made the call to the police). Police officers and psychologists have said, after the incident, that the inactivity of the people present that day was due to the fact that none of them had a psychological preparation for such events. if examine this situation it can be observed that the baby was in a real harm position and rare circumstance that required prompt assistance but despite this, and the fact that the victim was also child, the people around him did not change they attitude neither did the head of firefighters department. In his case in particular the "excuse" used by the police agents and psychologists afterward should not even apply because he is used and trained to operate in emergency

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