The Bystander Effect

And a monologue in a head…

The Bystander effect is the phenomenon of individuals being less likely to offer help to a victim (someone being attacked or being in an emergency) when other people are present. According to the theory about the Bystander effect — or Bystander apathy — , the larger the amount of people present, the less likely onlookers are to offer help to someone in need.

Among the main factors that contribute to the Bystander effect are: 1. Diffusion of responsibility; the individual feels less pressure for action, because it is as if responsibility is “shared” among all the people present. 2. Socially acceptable behavior; when other onlookers don’t react, the individual usually interprets this as a signal that a reaction is unacceptable or unneeded.

The theory was prompted by the murder of Kitty Genovese about which it was reported that 38 bystanders watched passively. As it was later proven, the number of the onlookers was much lower.

Although recent research puts the effect under question, many studies and experiments show simultaneously that it is also not “non-existent”…

The following monologue is fictional. I tried to “listen” to an onlooker’s inner voice while he was witnessing a fight between two men in a stadium after a football game.

PS. I almost never use the f* word, but I sensed that it wouldn’t be natural without it!

What’s going on here? They’re having a fight? Oh, it’s the guy who was sitting in front of me and had a little spat with the man next to him at halftime… Oh, boy! It’s getting wilder. And I fucking told myself not to go to the bathroom here after the game and wait to go home but…no! Aaaalways itching for falling on the shit! How do I get out of here now? What are they all looking at? What are we all looking at, not doing anything? Shit! He broke his nose! And the other assholes even made space for them! Great, you pigs! Yeah, watch the boxing fight after the football game! But, what am I saying? Like I’m better! But what the hell am I supposed to do? Grab him? He’s giant, he’s gonna kick my ass! What if he’s got a pocketknife and come at me? I’m not an idiot! Let that tall guy over there do it. He’s ready to get in, I can see him… He’s not going. Nobody goes. What are we gonna get into now? It’s not our business. Hey, stop! That’s it; I’m calling the police. But what if he listens to me? I’m in the fucking front row now, for Christ’s sake! I have a kid. Is this a good time to get involved with someone like him? What about the other one? He looks like a jerk, too. Let them get along. What was he doing trying to prompt him at halftime? Fuck, he’s stepping on his head! What are you doing, you asshole? You’re gonna kill him! Stop it, man! I’m getting in, that’s it. No, I can’t do it. Why me? Why playing the hero? I might even get embarrassed if I get my ass kicked. Fuck them now. They’ll figure it out… they’ll figure it out. Jesus Christ, he’s not moving! And I’m just sitting here yelling “stop” only in my head! He won’t fucking get up. Did he kill him? Get up, get the fuck up! We’re gonna drown in guilt, man! He’s not moving. Let’s get the fuck out of here, you fucking idiots! We stand like we’re watching a movie! What if the police come and ask for testimonies? That’s it. I’m outta here!

Anthi Psomiadou — CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International : Credit must be given to the creator/ Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted/ No derivatives