Bystander Effect Essay - 1637 Words

Bystander or Bodyguard: An Examination of Who Helps and Who Does Not A bystander, according to Michael Webster’s New World College Dictionary, is an individual who is present in a given situation, but is not involved (Agnes, 2001). The word bystander does not always have a negative connotation, but in the case of bullying or an emergency situation, it does. In either scenario, a bystander is not helping in a time of crisis and this can have many negative outcomes. Many factors play a role in remaining passive and not engaging in prosocial behavior (Evans Smokowski, 2015). One of these factors is the well-known phenomenon known as the bystander effect. According to this theory, bystanders do not take action if there are other bystanders†¦show more content†¦The sad truth about bullying, is that although people express opinions of distaste for bullying, most people do not engage in helping behavior and intercede in the situation where this is occurring (Cowie, 2014). A study conducted by Atlas and Pepler (1998) showed how accurate this fact is. 60 scenarios of bullying involving elementary school children were videotaped. The results found that in only 10% of the scenarios a bystander engaged in prosocial behavior and helped the victim, which is a shockingly low percentage. Many other cases have revealed similar results regarding defenders in bullying situations (Evans Smokowski, 2015). Bullying, although accomplished by only one individual, is considered to be a social situation, that is greatly influenced by others present. The presence of individuals, especially peers, increases the likelihood of bullying reoccurring. Passivity in bystanders actually contributes to the bullying behavior because it is reinforcing and reassuring to the bully to see no one acting to stop them, thereby condoning the behavior. This reduces any feelings of discomfort that the bully would otherwise face if his behavior was not being condoned (Howard, et al., 2014). The Bystander Effect The bystander effect has been studied in depth, beginning in the early 1960s. In the social psychology field, this phenomenon has been especially prevalent. The murder of Catherine Susan (Kitty) Genovese, was theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Bystander Effect1079 Words   |  5 PagesBystander effect, (Darley Latane, 1970) refers to decrease in helping response when there are bystanders around relative to no bystanders. Referring to previous study stating that there are some cases of which group size may promote helping instead of hindering it (Fischer et al., 2011). Researchers then speculate the possibility of positive influences from bystanders by taking public self-awareness into consideration. Researchers proposed that high public self-awareness would reverse the bystanderRead MoreBystander Effect Essay1403 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bystander Effect is a controversial theory given to social phenomenon where the more potential bystanders there are, the less likel y any individual is to help in emergency situations. A traditional explanation for the cause of the Bystander Effect is that responsibility diffuses across the multiple bystanders, diluting the responsibility of each. (Kyle et al.) The Bystander effect, also known as the Genovese Syndrome, was named after the infamous murder of â€Å"Kitty† Catherine Genovese in 1964,Read MoreBystander Effect Essay1389 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bystander Effect The Bystander effect is a controversial theory given to social phenomenon where the more potential helpers there are, the less likely any individual is to help. A traditional explanation for this Bystander Effect is that responsibility diffuses across the multiple bystanders, diluting the responsibility of each. (Kyle et al.) The Bystander effect, also known as the Genovese Syndrome, was created after the infamous murder of â€Å"Kitty† Catherine Genovese in 1964, on the streets ofRead MoreEssay about The Bystander Effect1791 Words   |  8 Pages‘The Bystander Effect’ Lily is thirteen years old and tall for her age. One afternoon, she confronts a suspicious looking stranger near a young girl playing in the local park. The stranger takes to his heels when Lily challenges him. Lily’s bravery is the talk of the neighbourhood. On learning of this, a student who is studying social psychology makes the comment: It’s just as well that Lily’s usual playmates were not around or that little girl might not have received any help. (Vaughan andRead MoreEssay The Bystander Effect2567 Words   |  11 Pagessuch as; ignoring an old lady who slipped and fell down in the middle of the road, avoiding helping an old man to pick up his change that fell out of his pocket, disregarding the school fight between the two students, etc. The main purpose of this essay is to explain why and under what conditions some people are more likely to get involved then others. It accomplishes that by looking at the two opposite but related events in which people have a choice of whether or not to interfere, then it triesRead MoreThe bystander effect Essay1223 Words   |  5 Pagesdefinitive example of the bystander effect, the social phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to help someone in distress if there are other people present. The bystander effect occurs wherever there is a situation that is ambiguous, or where a lack of action can be rationalized by a diffusion of responsibility in a large group, or where the presence of others presents a significant risk to the bystander such that he or she is afraid to provide help. The bystander effect results from peopleRead MoreBystander Effect Essay1212 Words   |  5 PagesLatane’s, â€Å"Bystander Intervention in Emergencies: Diffusion of Responsibility.† They conducted this study to figure out how would people react in various group sizes in an emergency situation. As well as which one those individuals in different size groups would go and call for help. The concept of this was taken from the famous case of Kitty Genovese, who was stabbed to death multiple times and finally was killed in her own neighborhood and no one intervened. This is known to be the bystander effect. HoweverRead MoreThe Bystander Effect Essays1305 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bystander Effect Psy 110 - Asynchronous The Bystander Effect If you saw someone being attacked on the street, would you help? Many of us would quickly say yes we would help because to state the opposite would say that we are evil human beings. Much research has been done on why people choose to help and why others choose not to. The bystander effect states that the more bystanders present, the less likely it is for someone to help. SometimesRead MoreBystander Effect Theory Essay775 Words   |  4 PagesThe Bystander Effect Theory Have you seen a group of children bullying or pushing around another child? Did you stand by and watch the situation and not intervene? If so, even with such a minor situation, you fell into the bystander effect theory. The bystander effect happens every day in our lives and dates all the way back to the Holocaust and even further back in history. The bystander effect theory is a psychological phenomenon were people do not help others in emergency situations whenRead MoreEssay on The Bystander Effect: How Big Is to Big of a Group?944 Words   |  4 Pagesbusy street of Manhattan, Katie becomes light headed passing out; although she is in a large group of people, no one stops to help. This phenomenon is called the â€Å"bystander effect.† A bystander is often anyone who passed by, witnessed, or even participated in a certain situation (Polanin, Espelage Pigott, 2012). The bystander effect is the idea that the larger the group, the less likely an individual is to be helped. The likelihood of someone getting helped is inversely compared to the number of