The Bystander Effect- Stephanie Downes

         Recently in class we had a discussion about a woman named Kitty Genovese who was stabbed to death in her apartment one night. Although there were many witnesses, not one person attempted to help. This seems absolutely absurd and leads many to ask the question of why no one helped. One theory to explain this peculiar circumstance is the Bystander Effect.
         The Bystander Effect is the mentality that responsibility vanishes when other people are around. For example, if you were walking in a crowded hall and saw a kid drop their books, would you help them pick them up? Most decent people would say yes. However, with the bystander effect, this is unfortunately not always the case. A person is less likely to help someone when others are around because they figure someone else will do it. This is different than a scenario where you are the only other person in that hallway. In this case, it is far more likely that a person would help out, as there is no one else there who will handle the situation.
         Though the mystery of why no one helped Kitty Genovese may never be solved, the Bystander Effect is one theory as to why this tragic incident happened.