How many of you all know what the bystander effect is? If you all saw someone in trouble, would you all stop and help, or would you just ignore it and keep walking? We all probably know someone who has witnessed the bystander effect or even witnessed it ourselves. I used to be involved in an organization called Council on Domestic Abuse(CODA). I gave a presentation at an event about bystander effect. Of course, I researched more into my topic and saw things I had no idea that it would have this much impact. This inspired me to talk to you guys more about what I learn and how it can impact all of us. I would like to talk to you guys on what the bystander effect is and the history of the word, why we don’t do anything to stop it, and how to be
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According to the article “Bystander Effect,” “bystander effect occurs when the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation” (“Bystander Effect”). In the same article, it talks about when the concept of bystander effect first became popular which was in 1964 when a woman named Kitty Genovese was murdered in New York …show more content…
There were 38 men and women who witness the event. After the incident, social psychologists Bibb Latane and John Darley believed that we are more likely to intervene if there are few or no one around us. Now that you know what bystander is and when it first became popularized, now let’s get into why individuals don’t step in to help. Sometimes we don’t step in to help because of various reasons. According to Kendra Cherry’s article “The Bystander Effect,” the top two major factors that contribute to the bystander effect is the diffusion of responsibility and the need to “behave in correct and socially acceptable ways” (“The Bystander Effect”). The diffusion of responsibility means that people are less likely to intervene or take action when others are present. The need to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways means that individuals tend to not step in to help because they see others not helping or reacting. Other reasons could be fear in that we freeze even if there is no serious threat to us. We fear that we would become targets as well. People don’t think they are responsible for others unless the person finds the situation personally
According to the article “Bystander Effect,” “bystander effect occurs when the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation” (“Bystander Effect”). In the same article, it talks about when the concept of bystander effect first became popular which was in 1964 when a woman named Kitty Genovese was murdered in New York …show more content…
There were 38 men and women who witness the event. After the incident, social psychologists Bibb Latane and John Darley believed that we are more likely to intervene if there are few or no one around us. Now that you know what bystander is and when it first became popularized, now let’s get into why individuals don’t step in to help. Sometimes we don’t step in to help because of various reasons. According to Kendra Cherry’s article “The Bystander Effect,” the top two major factors that contribute to the bystander effect is the diffusion of responsibility and the need to “behave in correct and socially acceptable ways” (“The Bystander Effect”). The diffusion of responsibility means that people are less likely to intervene or take action when others are present. The need to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways means that individuals tend to not step in to help because they see others not helping or reacting. Other reasons could be fear in that we freeze even if there is no serious threat to us. We fear that we would become targets as well. People don’t think they are responsible for others unless the person finds the situation personally