The Bystander Effect: The Killing Of Kitty Genovese

Today we often hear the words “mind your business” and “worry about yourself.” In our society, it is commonly seen as good manners and respect for privacy, deemed a necessity. It is believed that not intruding into someone else's life and staying in your lane is the appropriate thing to do. However, in many situations, refraining from interfering in someone else's affairs is the correct thing to do. But what about situations where someone's life is at risk? What happens when minding your own business and keeping to yourself costs the life of an innocent person? It was just after 3 AM when Kitty Genovese, trying to get home from her job as a bar manager, was suddenly overtaken and violently stabbed by a man who quickly left the scene after the …show more content…
Understandably, the witnesses did not want to risk their safety and put themselves in danger by going down and physically helping her, but that is no excuse for doing nothing. Any of the 38 witnesses could have, and should have, at the very least, dialed 911. How difficult is it to make a phone call? The result of this tragedy, and multiple others like it, can all be attributed to a phenomenon called The Bystander Effect. The killing of Kitty Genovese is just one of the various examples where bystanders witness a victim in crisis but do not help in any matter. Due to the frequent reoccurrence of this, a few states here in the U.S. have taken action to try and resolve this matter. Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont all require bystanders to help someone in danger if it won't endanger the Samaritan. In contrast, Hawaii, Washington, and Wisconsin require witnesses to report a crime or an emergency. These six states have already contributed to reversing the bystander effect, but it should not be limited to just them, as this is a nationwide issue. States all over the U.S. have the problem of bystanders who witness but do not report or help victims in perilous situations (Philip