Social Responsibility
Mrs. Hill/Mrs.Przybylski
khill@nscsd.org
English 9
The Problem: The Bystander Effect
by
stander
[bahy]–preposition
near to or nex.t to
[stænd] -noun
to be situated or
located.
bystander
[bahy-stan-der] –noun
a person present but not involved; chance spectator;
onlooker.
The Problem: The Bystander Effect
•
Refers to how people respond when a
stranger needs help
•
More people present = less likely
individuals are to help a person in
distress
•
Few people (less witnesses) =
observers are more likely to offer help
Evidence – Famous Case 1960
Kitty Genovese was brutally attacked and
eventually murdered over a 45 minute
period outside of her apartment building in
NYC. This happened in public, in which 38
people witnessed the attack. Not one
person did a thing to help.
The Causes:
What causes people to stand
by and do nothing while others are in distress?

Insecurity

Diffusion of responsibility

Social cues/Social norms
Group Work:
Identifying Causes
For each situation your group will:
List factors that influence the actions of
the bystander.
 Give each factor a clear descriptive
label.
 Identify 2-3 responses that fit into each
category.

What would you do?
On a snowy day, you
are traveling by car is
along a busy road.
Suddenly the car in
front of you hits a
patch of ice and slides
off the road and onto
the shoulder.
Make a list of factors
that would influence
your decision.
What would you do?
A teacher walks by
you in the busy
hallway and drops a
stack of papers she
was carrying. They
scatter all over the
hallway.
Make a list of factors
that would influence
your decision.
What would you do?
It’s noon and a man
climbs on the railing of
a bridge high above a
river. He sits on the
railing muttering things
to himself. You are
walking on the bridge
and notice the man.
Make a list of factors
that would influence
your decision.
What would you do?
At 9:00 pm several men are
arguing outside of a restaurant.
Two of the men are shouting
loudly at a third man who
appears to be backing away
from them. The two men move
toward the lone man and start
waving their arms as he backs
up against a wall. You notice
the situation as you are exiting
the restaurant with your friends.
Make a list of factors that would
influence your decision.
What can you do?
When someone is in need of assistance,
instead of waiting for someone else to
help, be the one to do something. As a
bystander, you have the social
responsibility to do what you can to help. If
we all wait for the next bystander to help, it
may be too late.