Some may say that bystanders are terrible and have no sense of morality and yes, that may true for some bystanders. The case of Kitty Genovese truly shows how cruel and unthoughtful bystanders can be, but when we ask the question of why people would ignore someone in a crisis such as that, we automatically make up rationalizations such as diffusion of responsibility but in reality that's not the case. The idea of this new law is fantastic, absolutely. In reality, this law is unrealistic in what its asking of us. Bystanders don't stand by and watch someone in a crisis because of diffusion of responsibility, they stand by because they see people walk by someone in a crisis and think it’d be weird of him to go out of his way to help someone since …show more content…
The bystander would have to live with them not helping in the first place and would have that guilt on their conscious. Now what i'm saying is, this law isn’t necessary because truly the worst punishment to give a bystander is the bystander having to live with themselves after they have done such a thing or actually what he hasn’t done. There's a story that i heard recently where a man, a homeless man saved a woman from being robbed on the streets of New York. This man, in the process of saving this person, gets stabbed by the robber and the robber and the women flea on their separate ways. The robber nor the women came back. Pedestrians walked passed this man time and time again and did nothing until one young man came and turned him over on his back and after doing that, walked away. Don’t you think if you found out a man you attempted to help but gave up, died in that exact spot you left him, would have a miserable life having to think of that day in and day
What were the most critical choices faced by James Milmo early in the founding of
I believe that knowing you’ll get fined or punished if you witness a crime and don’t report it will limit the number of bystanders in the world because why lose five to ten thousand dollars when all you need to do is call 911 and report the crime. This law could possibly decrease the amount of crimes because suspects will know people will be reporting crimes if witnessed. The law only requires witnesses to report the crime if it doesn’t put the witness in danger or peril so the fear and excuse of being afraid will no longer be a factor for bystanders.
The study by Darley and Latane leaves society with the knowledge that everyone who is witnessing an emergency is most likely thinking the same thing “someone else will call for help or has already” so “Always act as if you are the only person there” (Darely & Latane, 1968). The concept of situationism is the driving force behind bystander effect. Situationism is “social behavior is, to a larger extent than people commonly realize, a response to people’s social context, not a function of individual personality” (Fiske, 2010, p. 7). Individuals first have to decide if they are witnessing an emergency. Then they need to decide if they have a responsibility to act which is when situationism comes in. If there are hundreds of witnesses each individual see the situation from a different perspective and responsibility to act is diffused among the crowd. On the other hand if one individual sees an emergency and believes there is no one else to help the responsibility rests on him or her. The context of the situation will determine how an individual will react, but people should consider the reality of everyone believing someone else will react and no one reacting. Kitty Genovese would still be alive if even one person would have called the cops when the first attack started.
Picture this. Someone is on their daily 3.5km run and as they pass the bus stop a woman grabs her chest and collapses. There are crowds of people passing by her but no one’s stopping to help. They probably aren't going to stop and help, because no one is stopping they are going to think if those many people aren’t stopping to help then she is fine, they might also be thinking someone else will help her. Now picture this that same person is out just for a walk around the park and they hear someone cry out for help, no one’s around but them so they probably would go over and help them. These situations are representing the bystander effect. John Darley and Bibb Latane came up with the bystander effect, the bystander effect states that the more people that are present the less likely anyone is to help someone in need. The bystander effect can be connected to the characters in William Golding's Lord of the flies. People just stand by in emergency situations when other people are around, and them no helping the victim can have some serious consequences.
Do you agree with this law? Why or why not? Research a similar law in your own state.
The Kitty Genovese story is a tragic one and is a controversial topic when ethics come into play. Though she screamed for help repeatedly while being stabbed the observers from the surrounding apartments did very little to assist the young woman. One observer in specific did shout “Leave the girl alone” and that deterred the assailant for a brief moment but whether or not he acted ethically is something of a different matter. According to Duty-Base Ethics which by definition states “the doctrine that actions are morally correct if they comply with existing obligations owed another and ourselves,” one could deduct that this observer did not act
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 “Kitty” Catherine Genovese in 1964, on the streets of New York in front of thirty-seven witnesses. After studying the Genovese syndrome and doing research on how this phenomenon occurs today, it is clear The Bystander effect is not theory, but actually fact.
Everyone around you, your closed friends, loved ones and community has already supported the new law and has voted in favor of it. So if you are selfish, cold hearted, you don’t have morals or a conscious and you don’t care about killing innocent, homeless, impoverished and disadvantaged people then this law is perfect for
Darley and Latane begin their essay by using solid examples of when the bystander effect presented itself, and why people were harmed because of it. They explain why nice people do not help in certain situations, and why someone can pass by a person in distress when others are around, and why more people respond when no one is around. Darley and Latane show what it takes for people to respond; they have to actually realize that it is an emergency and not a ruse or a normal occurrence. Sitting idly by while a dangerous situation is happening does not make someone a bad person, it just reveals their humanity.
“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe is one of Poe’s greatest literary works that embodies his signature themes of death, violence, and darkness. Poe’s main character begins his narration of his horrible wrongdoings regarding them as a “series of mere household events” (Poe 705). However, this is where Poe’s satire and irony begins and the story progresses to show the deranged mindset of this character as he tries to justify his actions. As the main character proceeds to rationalize his crime, Poe is able to convey a sense of irony through his use of foreshadowing, metaphors and symbolism.
Humans are typically very emotional. Sometimes, we even mess with our emotions on purpose, like watching a sad movie, or going on a rollercoaster. This is all great, but crying over a dog dying in a movie, yet not caring enough to help a person in need, isn’t. Seeing someone in need should cause us to feel enough pain for them that we want to do anything we can to help. Walking on by “should insult our values”, knowing that we could’ve done something (Allred and Bloom 334). Being worried about your own safety is understandable. However, not helping someone because you are scared they might sue you is just selfish. People are scared because “under American law, liability generally exists for action, not inaction” (Allred and Bloom 335). We may be liable for helping or possibly at financial risk, but that is a chance that should be taken to save a life. Changing the law would allow people to aid others without feeling
The musical “Cats” is an outstanding show that captivates audiences of all ages. It is based on a book of poems called, “Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats”, written by T.S. Eliot. “Cats” tells a nonsense story of different cats. The amazing music, unique costumes, and intricate dance choreography bring a breath-taking story to life that a leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.
Psychologists state diffusion of responsibility is one of the main blames for the bystander effect being
“The Lady, or The Tiger” by Mr. Frank R. Stockton has compelled readers for as long as time. This story ends with all wondering, so which is it, the delicate and fair young lady or the savage, fierce, wild-eyed tiger standing behind the door. This makes us ponder whether human heart chooses love or jealously. Within this essay, there will be proof that it is the stunning young woman behind the door. Although there is evidence proving that it is the tiger, in a sense there is more evidence stating that the elegant and barbaric princess allowed her real lover to continue living. To begin let us start with the small dwindling points that the tiger, lye behind the door.
In the short story the "The Cat in the Rain" by Ernest Hemingway, the cat is a symbol around which the story revolves. As a central symbol, the cat reveals the psychological state and emotional desires of the American wife.