Please read the New Yorker piece on Kitty Genovese.
Also read this piece about the "Bystander Effect" and "Diffusion of Responsibility"
Why didn't anyone help her? What implications does this piece present about human nature? Can you see some similarities between Genovese and sexual assault victims? What is the bystander effect? What is diffusion of responsibility? Discuss!
The original article implies that nobody went to help Kitty Genovese, but the New Yorker article proves this to be false. In fact, several people called the police, one yelled at the attacker and scared him away for a time, and another ran down to Genovese. That neighbor was still there when the ambulance arrived. If anything, this piece suggests that it is human nature to sensationalize tragedy.
ReplyDeleteIf I used the original thirty-eight silent witness article, I would think that it is human nature to think about one’s own safety before anyone else’s. Don’t rock the boat and all that. In this instance, Genovese and countless other sexual assault victims are overlooked during the crime. It is easier for a witness to believe that they misheard or miscomprehended the situation in some way than for them to put themselves at risk and help someone else.