Bystander effect
The bystander effect is a social psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when others are present. The presence of other people creates a diffusion of responsibility, leading each individual to assume that someone else will take action. This can result in a collective hesitancy to intervene or assist in an emergency situation, despite the potential severity of the circumstance. The term gained prominence following the infamous murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964, where numerous witnesses failed to intervene or contact authorities.
