On March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in the courtyard outside of her Queens apartment. Many neighbors and passers-by saw the violent act and chose not to do anything. One bystander usually assumes another person is going to alert authorities or go and get help. This is known as the bystander effect and it is more common than this one case.
?This effect was seen most recently in Richmond Calif., where two dozen teens watched the alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside of the school homecoming dance. The attack lasted for two and a half hours, according to "Newsweek.." That is more than enough time for someone to take action, but none of the teenagers did.?? Due to the commonality of bystander passiveness, a small group of teachers are trying to bring "bystander education" to American schools. This program emphasizes the role that the witness can take in helping the situation. UConn already has a similar program in which students can attend lectures on witnesses taking action. Northeastern University has a program in place called Mentors in Violence Prevention. Many other states are adopting this program or a similar one to address the problem of inaction during an unnerving situation.
It is commendable that programs such as MVP are being implemented in schools around the nation. Many students are taught in school to not cause violence and to protect themselves from dangerous situations, but there are few programs that teach students how to protect each other. It will be easier to take action if students are aware of their options.
?The program advocates distracting the perpetrator for those who don't feel comfortable alerting authorities or intervening themselves. Distraction can remove the perpetrator from the situation and give the victim time to escape. "Newsweek" gives an example of the victim's friend telling the perpetrator that his car was being towed outside of the party, which worked flawlessly.
Recently, a case close to our Husky hearts could have potentially been prevented if bystanders took action. There were countless pictures, videos and eyewitnesses to Jasper Howard's death and not much was done to stop it. Bystander education programs could make a difference. They aren't just play-it-safe lectures that will be forgotten as soon as students leave the lecture hall. These programs can save lives. Now that schools are doing their part by implementing these programs, students should do theirs and pay attention to what the programs have to offer. The bystander effect is a common thing - but students and educators may be able to change that.
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