The Bystander effect

In 1964, a girl was staggered by a man in front of her apartment at 3 am in the morning. She was shouting for help in pain. By hearing the sound of her shouting, some people in that apartment woke up and saw her asking for help. But not a single person helped her, and that was her last day onearth.

The record says 37 people saw that incident. The first call was made after 45 minutes. 

Do you know why those people didn't act?

Why People Didn’t Help – Understanding the Bystander Effect.

Definition – What Is the Bystander Effect?

The bystander effect is a social-psychological phenomenon where people are less likely to help someone in need when other people are present than when they are alone. 

Let me tell you how this happens in our day-to-day life.

We feel less responsible when others are present there. We think someone else will act. 

It varies by group size – the larger the size of the group, the less responsible we become.

We misunderstood the feelings, behaviours or silence of others. 

We look at other people’s behaviour and silence, and we assume that everybody is aware or okay. We might think, ‘Maybe I’m wrong,’ so we don’t act. But in reality, everyone feels the same way you do. We just misinterpret or respond based on others’ behaviour or silence. This is an example of pluralistic ignorance.

When we worry about what others might think of us if we act in a particular situation. Because we don't want to look like a fool in front of others. This fear stops us from acting, even when we might want to.

If you are in an emergency situation, just call out to one person in the group. You can call them by their shirt colour, accessories, hairstyle, or something else. The important thing is to call one person so that you can get the help you need.