Recent disturbing reports coming out of Pennsylvania, USA, suggest that a woman was sexually harassed and eventually raped by a 35-year-old man over two dozen train stops in Philadelphia. The train was not empty and there were witnesses to the sexual violence. However, it was only an off-duty transportation officer that alerted the authorities, who were then able to nab the criminal within three minutes. When an officer entered the train compartment, he found Ngoy in the middle of the criminal act and immediately pulled him off the woman.
The officer, and now the entire world, courtesy of the international coverage the news garnered, are now left wondering how could the people in the train not intervene? Earlier there was news about the bystanders having recorded videos of the crime, instead of intervening, and faced the threat of being prosecuted for the same. More recent reports suggest that these claims are false, that nobody recorded videos except two people. However, the fact remains, that a woman was raped in public transport, with no one coming forward to help. The bystander apathy in this case leaves us shocked to our core.
The Bystander Effect
The bystander effect is often defined as a phenomenon in which, if a person is in distress and there’s a large number of bystanders, the likelihood of someone stepping forward to help is low. Instead, as per the bystander effect, the fewer the number of witnesses or observers, the more likely it is that the person in distress will get immediate aid.
Studies suggest that this is because when there is a large crowd of people present, no single person has to take up the responsibility of responding to a real-time crime. The bystander effect has two aspects to it: diffusion of responsibility and social-appropriate behaviour. With more people present the responsibility to intervene gets shared between all. And when no action is taken by anyone, the herd conveniently feels it doesn’t require a response.
The bystander effect and gendered crime
This is not the first time a woman has been violated in public and nobody has done anything about it. The bystander inhibition has poked its ugly head now and then, riling up everyone before people forget all about it again. And yes, it does happen in India too.
Earlier this year, a man stabbed his wife to death in a busy Delhi street because she wouldn’t quit her job to become a housewife. The video of the same was shared extensively on the internet. While the man was armed and the bystanders could have been scared, there were several opportunities where a collective effort could have saved the woman.
Two years ago, two women were abused and harassed in a posh Delhi bar and again, nobody intervened. This raises the question, even with bystanders present in public spaces, are we safe?
The bystander effect has gone digital
In fact, there is now proof that the bystander effect has transcended physical public spaces and gone digital. Last year, a sickening crime came to light, occurring in an Instagram group called Bois Locker Room. The group included teens between the ages of 14 and 17, who shared nudes of girls, spoke derogatorily about them and expressed a desire to violate them. The entire incident was brought to light and made the news too, but was soon forgotten. However, it proved that the bystander effect can happen even in large crowds of people in digital spaces.
How to prevent the bystander effect
While it’s quite easy to fall into the trap of being a bystander, you can make a difference by keeping your own conscience and reflexes alive instead of giving in to the bystander effect or crowd mentality. Here are a few things you must do if and when you see a crime being committed in from of you:
· Be observant and knowledgeable. Make a note of emergency numbers and services.
· Know that any crime is not a personal matter, even if the criminal and the victim are related.
· Single out one or two bystanders and ask them to help you take action.
· Learn to take a stand and intervene when someone needs help offline or online.
· Also, learn to call out socially regressive and abusive behaviours when you spot them.
Also Read: How Sexual Abuse And Violence Affects A Woman’s Mental Health