Social Science Bystander effect

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Thistle

Thistle

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Something that has intrigued me of late with the racial attacks on buses and the likes is why doesn't anybody do anything to stop it.

After a bit of research I came across a phenomenon known as the bystander effect. Basically it is that the probability of someone helping another decreases as the number of people present increases. The most famous example probably being the holocaust.

Anyone got stories from either side of the situation?
 
Pretty sure most of the racial bus attack footage shows lots of patrons standing up for the victim?

Of course its a real thing, but I think we are entering a phase where everybody is so aware of it that they make a conscious effort not to do it, thus we are in the anti-bystander effect age
 
Thistle said:
Something that has intrigued me of late with the racial attacks on buses and the likes is why doesn't anybody do anything to stop it.

After a bit of research I came across a phenomenon known as the bystander effect. Basically it is that the probability of someone helping another decreases as the number of people present increases. The most famous example probably being the holocaust.

Anyone got stories from either side of the situation?
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Not true.

There have been many instances where a large group of bystanders have jumped in. Eg, 9/11 plane crash. A stabbing in hospital where many jumped in to save a doctor's life. Etc etc.
 

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Most psychology students would have studied the Kitty Genovese case, where a woman was being attacked (and was eventually murdered) in a street surrounded by apartment buildings. Lots of people heard her screams for help but everybody assumed someone else would call the police, and nobody actually did. Awful stuff.

It's why in emergencies you shouldn't yell 'somebody call the police/ambulance', you should point at someone and say 'you, call the police'. It puts the onus on them.
 
No one helped kitty because they diverted their responsibility on other people in the neighbourhood.

Also, it is difficult to be the first person to help a victim in public surrounded by strangers, due to potential the embarrassment of not doing a good job of assisting someone.

I also learnt that once one person jumps in to help, an influx of other people will jump in to help too. But not always...

The other week on the train, a guy standing beside me almost fainted, I could not tell because I was sitting down and reading and he was not facing me. As soon as I realised I got up and tried to help the guy out by giving him my seat, asking how he was if he was okay and to drink some water. People pretty much just watched. Felt like doing a Robin Williams Mrs Doubtfire "what are you looking at? Show's over."
 
dales.girl38 said:
Most psychology students would have studied the Kitty Genovese case, where a woman was being attacked (and was eventually murdered) in a street surrounded by apartment buildings. Lots of people heard her screams for help but everybody assumed someone else would call the police, and nobody actually did. Awful stuff.

It's why in emergencies you shouldn't yell 'somebody call the police/ambulance', you should point at someone and say 'you, call the police'. It puts the onus on them.
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or you can take responsibility and call them yourself instead of giving off the handball
 
Moment you do something you have a duty of care to that person (I'm pretty sure that is right). Almost all would be appreciative, but you never know.
 
Thistle said:
Something that has intrigued me of late with the racial attacks on buses and the likes is why doesn't anybody do anything to stop it.
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People have tried to stop these racists.Take the case of the nutty woman who was in court a week or two ago in Sydney - there was a couple with a young daughter [about 7yo] who were trying to stop her,but she just kept going.
The one a couple of years ago with the racist couple on a Frankston [?] bus late at night was the same - they then got abused.
 

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Resistor said:
Moment you do something you have a duty of care to that person (I'm pretty sure that is right). Almost all would be appreciative, but you never know.
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I believe it depends on each situation, what a reasonable person in that situation would do, Good Samaritan...all those factors. I don't think a duty of care can be imposed on an ordinary person helping someone because that would discourage people from helping others in trouble.
Civil Liability Act deals with that stuff I'm guessing.
 
Quivorir said:
Didn't some guy try to help another in Melbourne the other year and got shot/stabbed himself? That's why.
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In 2007 Brandon Kieler was a 43yo solicitor on his way to work who went to the aid of the girl being beaten up in the streets of melbournes CBD by Christopher Wayne Hudson, along with a dutch backpacker Paul De Waard 25yo

Hudson shot them both, Kieler died
 
JuddsABlue said:
In 2007 Brandon Kieler was a 43yo solicitor on his way to work who went to the aid of the girl being beaten up in the streets of melbournes CBD by Christopher Wayne Hudson, along with a dutch backpacker Paul De Waard 25yo

Hudson shot them both, Kieler died
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Thats the one. That has to be a reason why people are afraid to help.
 
What I want to know in particular is why someone would stand there and film this kind of stuff, rather than do something about it.

Come to think of it, I wonder why anyone feels the need to film it at all. If it's a situation of danger/distress, and it doesn't involve you and you don't want to help, you either keep to yourself or you leave. You don't stand/sit and try to make a movie out of it.
 
JuddsABlue said:
In 2007 Brandon Kieler was a 43yo solicitor on his way to work who went to the aid of the girl being beaten up in the streets of melbournes CBD by Christopher Wayne Hudson, along with a dutch backpacker Paul De Waard 25yo

Hudson shot them both, Kieler died
Click to expand...

Did's mate
 
I am concerned with the genocide happening to our sons,daughters,brothers,sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephew nieces, mothers and fathers, as a result of the lies from pharmaceutical companies. No one says or does anything. In fact tv the media and politicians like to extenuate the circumstances contributing to the killing and suffering.
 
Damon_3388 said:
What I want to know in particular is why someone would stand there and film this kind of stuff, rather than do something about it.
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It is staggering when you see some of these things on the news or news websites and it's filmed by someone first or very early on the scene and you think "Why the hell didn't you put the phone down and try to assist in some way ?"

Fair enough in some cases nothing can be done or it's just too risky [i.e certain fires]
 
Bit of topic but similar. Here's the scenario. You're driving down a road in the middle of nowhere and see a bird flagging you down to help her with a car issue. Would you help?

My first thought would be "nope, there's a guy hiding somewhere who's gonna rob me or whatever as soon as I get out my car" so I'll just look straight ahead and pretend I didn't see her. Would any of you pull over?
 
Quivorir said:
Bit of topic but similar. Here's the scenario. You're driving down a road in the middle of nowhere and see a bird flagging you down to help her with a car issue. Would you help?

My first thought would be "nope, there's a guy hiding somewhere who's gonna rob me or whatever as soon as I get out my car" so I'll just look straight ahead and pretend I didn't see her. Would any of you pull over?
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I could offer zero assistance, I know nothing of cars

I would stop, wind down window and ask what problem is etc to get an idea of the situation but have the car running in case anyone comes out of the shadows
 
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