Complete thesis report on bystanders effects

One of the most interesting essays that one can ever be asked to write is a complete thesis report on bystander’s report on bystanders effects.

According to the bystander theory, if the numbers of bystanders increase, then the possibility that one or more o f them will help the victim decreases. A good example of this was the 13th March 1964 rape and murder of Kitty Genovese which occurred at her home and was witnessed by as many as 38 people, none of whom called the police for help.

Kitty, had just returned home from work when she was attacked by a man who began stabbing her. As she screamed for help, the lights of the nearby apartments came on and people started watching what was taking place at Kitty’s apartment. Only one individual reacted by yelling to the murderer to leave the young woman alone. This caused the stabber to retreat but upon realizing that no one had called the police to intervene, he went back to finish what he had begun.

People from the surrounding apartments heard Kitty scream once again for help but none of them alerted the police. Once the investigations begun, the police interviewed some of the witnesses who states that they had all assumed that someone else had alerted the police.

As the interviews continued, more of the witnesses were interviewed and they gave a myriad of excuses although none of them really had an explanation as to why they did not alert the police when they were witnessing a murder. The only logical explanation for this occurrence was that it was a case of the bystander effect.