I am not aware of any bystander effect case more devastating than that of the murder of Kitty Genovese. That horrible murder happened in Queens, NY in 1964. I was only five years old at the time, living in the Washington Heights section of upper Manhattan. Of course I was too young to understand or really even pay much attention to what was happening in the world other than what was going on in my little life at the time but through the years this story continued on and I learned of it. Living in the city I had witnessed many a run-by purse snatching. I, also, lived through the jewelry chain snatching in the subways during the 1980’s. But Kitty always stayed with me though the years. I suppose it was because of how horribly she died. And how no one did anything to help her.
The events surrounding her death were seemingly incredulous. She ran through the streets where she lived towards her apartment screaming for help while her attacker stabbed her twice, followed her to her building, and stabbed her a third and final time, while people watched from their windows and listened to her screams. The police were not called until it was too late to save her.
What made these neighbors of Kitty standby and do nothing during this vicious attack? According to an article posted online by The New York Times, some were frightened, others did not want to get involved, and yet others were simply apathetic. Once the event was over they all came out of their holes, though.
One phone call. One person needed to make one phone call and that woman could possibly have been saved from a psychotic killer. This is what happens when people do not get involved. When they think, “Someone else will do it,” “I don’t want to get involved,” “It’s not my responsibility.”
Don’t be a bystander. Take action. So what if someone already called the police? Call again. What’s the harm? Or ask, “has anyone called for help?” Don’t be apathetic. What if it were your daughter/son/parent? Wouldn’t you want someone to help them?
Reference
Gansberg, M. (1964, March 27). 37 Who saw murder didn’t call the police. New York. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1964/03/27/37-who-saw-murder-didnt-call-the-police.html?_r=0
I think that you make a great point. So what if someone has already called the police? Better to call twice and save someone’s life than not at all. I wonder if the same incident happened in 2015 if the same outcome would take place? Not that I’m making excuses (I most certainly am not) but all of the phone lines at that time would have been land lines. So the people that would have called would have likely used their phones while not being able to see what was going on at the same time. Did the desensitization to screams and city noise inhibit the occupants from calling for help? Perhaps they didn’t want to cry wolf when it was just noise from a party or other gathering that they heard. None of this changes the fact that Kitty died a gruesome and awful death. What it does show is that one action could have saved her. One phone call. Today, many are afraid of getting involved because as a society, we are disengaged from people as a whole. I stopped for coffee on my way to work the other morning and I looked a man in the eye and said “Good Morning” to him on my way into the store. He looked absolutely shocked that I spoke to him at all. On my way out, he was still standing there finishing his cigarette. I spoke to him again, wishing him a good day. He smiled and returned the sentiment. How simple. How easy. If only that was the norm. Cases like Kitty Genovese’s make me so aware of our whole culture. I watched my husband give up his seat at a sporting event last night so that an older man with physical disabilities could sit instead of stand. He took action, spoke up, and made thing easier for that man. We must do better as a society. We must make the call. We must say something. We must do something. Perhaps you haven’t been able to shake the story of Ms. Genovese, because you were destined to be part of the movement to change things…