Get Educated: Community of Trust

A bystander is someone in a crowd who sees a potentially dangerous situation and does nothing. A bystander does not protect the values of safety, trust, and honor that are central to our community.

Where all think alike, no one thinks very much.
– Walter Lippmann

The Good Samaritan - Less common than you might think.

In 1968 researchers Darley & Latane conducted an experiment in which a student pretended to have a seizure and the experimenters recorded how often others stopped to help. When only one bystander was watching the scene, the student was helped 85% of the time. However, if there were five bystanders, the student was only helped 31% of the time.

Does this make sense? Shouldn't having more people present increase the chances that someone will get help?

Amazingly, this is not the case. We all take cues from those around us about how to act in different situations. In emergency situations, many things prohibit bystanders from intervening:

• If no one else is acting, it is hard to go against the crowd.
• People may feel that they are risking embarrassment. (What if I'm wrong and they don't need help?)
• They may think there is someone else in the group who is more qualified to help.
• They may think that the situation does not call for help since no one else is doing anything

With each person taking cues from people around them, a common result is that no action is taken.

What can we do about this problem? As members of the Tribe we all have a responsibility to help each other. Avoid being a bystander! Intervene regardless of what others are doing and don't be worried about being wrong; it is better to be wrong than to have done nothing at all.

I do not want to be a bystander. What can I do?

1. Be on the look-out for potentially dangerous situations. – Learn how to recognize indications of potentially dangerous situations. Here are some examples of “red flag” behaviors related to sexual assault:
   • Inappropriate touching
   • Suggestive remarks
   • Testing boundaries
   • Disregarding set boundaries
   • Inappropriate intimacy
   • Attempts to isolate someone
   • Pressuring someone to drink
   • Violent behaviors
   • Targeting someone who is visibly impaired
2. If I were in this situation, would I want someone to help me?
   • If a situation makes us uncomfortable, we may try to dismiss it as not being a problem. You may tell yourself that the other person will be fine, that he or she is not as intoxicated as you think, or that the person is able to defend him/herself. This is not a solution! The person may need your help more than you think!
   • When in doubt, TRUST YOUR GUT. Instincts are there for a reason. When a situation makes us feel uncomfortable, it is a generally a good indicator that something is not right.
   • It is better to be wrong about the situation than do nothing.
   Many people feel reluctant to intervene in a situation because they are afraid of making a scene or feel as though a person would ask for help if it were needed.
3. You have the responsibility to intervene.
   • You may be thinking:
     • No one else is helping; it must not be a problem
     • People who are sober don't think this is a problem, maybe I'm wrong?
     • Jim's really responsible and he's not intervening... why should I?
   • Many people do not intervene in a potentially dangerous situation because they are looking to others for cues on how to act or they believe someone else will intervene.
   But IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to act – as a member of the Tribe, as a friend to all other students, and as a member of William and Mary's community of trust and safety.
4. You have the skills to act!
   • Learn effective intervention techniques!
   • Watch out for other members of the Tribe!
   • Come up with a plan beforehand!
   • Talk to your friends about how they would want you to intervene if they are in an uncomfortable situation.
   • Choose the intervention strategy that is best for the situation.
   • Take a breath and make your move!

• Berkowitz, A. Understanding the role of bystander behavior. US Department of Education's 20th Annual National Meeting on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention in Higher Education, Arlington, VA
• Darley, J.M., & Latane, B. (1968). Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8, 377-383.
• Cialdini, R.B. (2001) Influence: Science and Practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon