This week we learned about the bystander effect which states that “people are less likely to help in an emergency when other bystanders are present” (Schneider, Gruman, Coutts, p. 247, 2012). I first learned about the bystander effect in a previous psychology class when the case of Kitty Genovese, who was brutally murdered in front of her apartment building in 1964. A number of her neighbors, and likely people on the street, heard her screams and no one called the police (Gruman et al, p. 247, 2012).That story really stuck with me for a long time, and I thought back to all of the times that I was guilty of witnessing a situation where someone may need help and fell pray to a diffusion of responsibility, or diminished sense of responsibility because others would or should have already intervened (Gruman et al, p. 247, 2012).
Since first hearing about Kitty, I’ve made it a personal goal of mine to confirm that someone else has already assisted when someone needs help. I’ve pulled over when people are stranded on the side of the road, for example, way more than I used to (and when it’s safe, of course) because there is no guarantee that the person has a way of getting help. After reading about Kitty, and about Matti this week, it breaks my heart to think that I could someday have the chance to make a difference and not take it because someone else MIGHT have already helped. Too much help is better than none in most cases.
The story of Kitty Genovese has stuck with me as well. As you mentioned, a component of the bystander effect is diffusion of responsibility, where others may feel that they do not need to intervene because they believe that others will respond to the emergency situation. But what happens when everyone else assumes that someone else will help and as a result, no one intervenes? People may feel as though it is not their responsibility, especially when there are many people present, they may feel their responsibility decreases even more.
It is important to teach children about the bystander effect at a young age, therefore we can help to combat this phenomenon. According to Newman from Greater Good Magazine, “we can encourage kids to help others more by fostering a greater sense of personal responsibility within them (2015).” This can be achieved by explicit teaching, modeling, and environmental cues. An example would be showing compassion and kindness to strangers in front of your children. Show them that is 100% your responsibility to help somebody in need, regardless if there are others around.
Reference:
Newman, K.M. (2015 May 18). Helping kids overcome the bystander effect. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/helping_kids_overcome_the_bystander_effect