The Bystander Effect by Dorothy Barkin Analysis Essay

📌Category: Articles, Behavior, Psychology
📌Words: 522
📌Pages: 2
📌Published: 05 February 2022

“The Bystander Effect” is an essay by Dorothy Barkin depicting the phenomena of people turning their backs on others in need and why they do it. The bystander effect is the name that covers the reasons for people who witness something happen and do nothing about it. The essay gives scenarios where crimes or dangerous acts are committed, and nobody does anything to help. As an advocate for women’s rights and safety, it was scary to read about Kitty Genovese and the other women in horrific situations where no one did anything to help. According to the essay, bystanders hesitate to involve themselves in situations due to conscious and subconscious factors, but that does not excuse the negative impact of their actions.

While I believe the bystander effect does exist, it should not excuse people who witness violent crimes and stay silent. “On a summer afternoon in Trenton, New Jersey, a twenty-year-old woman was brutally raped in a parking lot in full view of twenty-five employees of a nearby roofing company.” (Barkin 180) According to the essay, there were many witnesses to both Kitty Genovese’s murder and the woman’s rape, but nobody did anything to help in either situation. As real as it may be, the bystander effect does not excuse the preventable things that have happened because nobody spoke up.

The bystander effect is an explanation, but it is not an excuse.  While the bystander effect explains the behavior and actions of people in certain situations, it does not justify the results that may occur. People witnessed Kitty being stabbed and did nothing more than turn on their lights and yell from their windows. It is horrifying to think that I could be in a situation like Kitty Genovese, where nobody does anything to help because it could possibly inconvenience them. Even if someone is fearful of being harmed or embarrassed, it does not justify letting someone else be the victim of an avoidable crime. The safety of someone’s well-being is worth more than an individual’s comfort in those moments. 

Fear is not an excuse to witness a crime and do nothing about it. "Imagine what it feels like to need help and have a crowd watch you suffer - and do nothing." (Barkin 181) Doing nothing when witnessing a crime alone is understandable because the situation could quickly turn dangerous for both the victim and the watcher. However, there are still things that can be done to help in most circumstances, such as calling the police. When experiencing a dangerous event in a crowd of other people, there is even less of an excuse to do nothing. If someone is afraid of repercussions, there are already people around to witness, but one could also grab another individual to go with them to help. If someone observes a crime, such as rape or murder, and does nothing, they are in the wrong.

The factors that play into the bystander effect do not excuse the impact it has. Kitty Genovese lost her life because no one spoke out or acted on her behalf. A woman was brutally raped, and no one put a stop to it. These tragic events were witnessed by many people, yet in both situations, nobody intervened or came to their aid. The bystander effect may exist, but it does not excuse the events that are allowed to occur because of it.

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