As an emergency responder I have personally had experience with the phenomena known as the Bystander Effect. The textbook defines this as “the effect whereby the presence of others inhibits helping,” (Kassin et al, p.426). Integrated from the earliest part of our training was the idea that when we needed help with something, we needed to pick out specific people and direct them to do the necessary task rather than leaving it up to the group to combat this issue.
I believe the textbook does an excellent job outlining the steps of the Bystander Effect. It describes five of them: Noticing, Interpreting, Taking Responsibility, Deciding, and Providing (Kassin et al , p.426) Of these steps I believe that Taking Responsibility is where many people get lost when reacting to emergencies. For events such as the Boston Marathon Bombing or our own Father’s Day Flood, it’s impossible not to notice that something is going on and also to interpret that as a bad thing that needs to be fixed.
However, seeing oneself as the one who needs to do something is quite difficult. Even as an active EMT it is quite easy to get caught up in the fact that I may not be as qualified or have as diverse of training as others, and thus feel obligated to yield all responsibility to those higher-ups. But Taking Responsibility in a time of disaster is about much more than being in control of a scene or being a decision-maker. This TEDx talk sums up my point quite well:
See, from the time of disaster until the First Responders show up on scene there’s a lot of stuff that can happen. First of all, someone has to call 911 (which can take a lot longer than you might expect). Then if there’s a trauma, even just putting pressure on a bleed can significantly improve an individual’s chances of survival or their quality of life. In addition, what are called “Walking Wounded” (people who may be injured but are at least mobile and not in life-threatening danger) can be evacuated to a safer place, just like bystanders did in the Boston Marathon. Obviously, that’s just one situation but the point is there is a lot that can be done out of relatively common sense with quite little training.
But what ends up happening the book calls “the diffusion of responsibility”. This is the idea that other people should intervene in a situation (Kassin et al p.428). Again, even as a responder this is an easy trap to fall into, but that’s not a good excuse! But as Ms. Hardister said about the girl who took action in the face of a tsunami, “all she needed was a little geography knowledge and the conviction to take action.” She noticed a problem, interpreted it as a problem, and then was willing and able to take appropriate action, and with dramatic and awesome consequences! Unfortunately, we live in a society where everything seems to be somebody else’s responsibility; we live in a society where happiness is starting to reign supreme. But in the case of emergencies, all bets are off!
Instead of retreating, the kind of action that I am suggesting and the kind that Ms. Hardister was imploring her audience to take is quite simple. The next time you’re in such a situation, do what you can do! As she said, “these events can happen, and you must take personal responsibility for your own safety.” And this is another great point: even if you don’t know what to do, get yourself and anyone you can find to safety. Standing and watching without taking action can endanger causalities, responders, and yourself!
Take-away Message:
“Regular people only feature into the equation as victims, which is a shame. Because regular people are the most important people at a disaster scene, every time.” Be ready to act within your capabilities, even if that doesn’t seem like much! This can be as simple as putting pressure on a bleed or getting yourself and others to safety!
*If you’re interested in the Bystander Effect more generally please check out the blog posts by Ben Hartley, Jade Thompson, and Lindsey K.*
Thank you!
A well-written article.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that every day there are situations where we probably can help someone, but don't--due to social norms or the bystander effect. Obviously it's seldom something as big as helping to save someone's life, but I don't think that really matters.
At what point is a favor too small to be worthwhile? And as it pertains to medical matters.... I'd say that even if you're not a professional, stepping in in some capacity will at least "break the ice" and make others with more expertise more likely to chime in or help themselves, especially if you ask for it.
The line between worthwhile and not is something that everyone has to decide for themselves I believe. For example, some people make it a point to hold doors open for others, while others may not. It's really up to what you're willing to do.
DeleteAnd on the point of medical matters you're absolutely right! I am only licensed in the stat of Michigan so I'm not technically supposed to intervene elsewhere (though there are exceptions to these laws) it absolutely could help to see someone who is already helping!
Very well written! It is sad that we live in a world where no one WANTS to help in serious time of need. Especially if undocumented. What I mean by that is that it seems that if people know they will be safe and make the news while doing it, there is never a shortage. But put them in a situation with no cameras around and not in the safest of circumstances, not many would take the same chance to help out. One thing that stood out to me was at the end you said " Unfortunately, we live in a society where everything seems to be somebody else’s responsibility;" do you think this lack of initiative is due to lack of preparedness? If so, what do you think we as a nation can do to help reduce this issue?
ReplyDeletePartially, yes! There were two medical situations in which I could've gotten involved but had no appropriate training which occurred within a month of me starting my freshman year. Having been through the class I am confident in saying that I would've intervened had I known more. So to help combat lack of preparedness I would love to see many people get trained even just in basic first aid (or higher)!
DeleteOn another hand, I believe that American society is at fault. Google defines society as "the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community." America seems to be heading in the direction of being simply a group of people rather than a community which is evidenced by the prevalence of the Bystander Effect.
Building off what you said Tim as America being more a group of people rather than a community do you think this is because America is so divided on many big important topics (i.e. immigration, LGBTQ community, etc.)? Do you think that if America was more of a community people would be more willing to help others when a situation or a disaster occur?
DeleteI honestly think it's just egotism. It's totally okay to have large divides on big issues, there are plenty of people with whom I disagree entirely! But I would never withhold treatment and I hope I wouldn't be hesitant to help (in a non-emergency setting) because of different views! But we've gotten to the point where our views shape our identity rather than the other way around and it's a big problem! What do you think?
DeleteThis was a great article! As a lifeguard with experience in trauma personally, it is something that is very noticed. Under that pressure many people seem to purely be overwhelmed and are thinking others will know what to do in the situation a whole lot better. I think it would be good to have more individuals trained and have the knowledge ready in their back pocket when the time comes to use it.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think training is essential and important to help mitigate events like this! For babysitting training we had to do CPR, emergency first, aid, etc. and it definitely gets your in the mindset to be ready in the event of someone needing help.
DeleteYeah I agree, as a person who has no training in any type of medical situation I feel like I would be standing still at almost any emergency, because I would feel so unqualified.
DeleteGood post Tim!
ReplyDeleteI think you made a really important point about just how strong these influences (diffusion of responsibility . . .) can be, even for those who are trained against them. It is very easy to think that you are not the most qualified to help and therefore it would be more helpful to the person in need if someone else stepped in. I would imagine that experience helps with this, but would you say that blocks to helping could impact anyone given the right conditions?
Yes, for sure! I have been on about half a dozen scenes where we had paramedics and even doctors present who were insanely hesitant to get involved. One in particular happened when I was in Glacier National Park. This was before my training, but I knew enough to know that the patient needed to be in the hospital. I tried to find more qualified people while two EMT's were taking care of the patient and I came across a neurologist (which is what the patient needed). So I brought the guy to the patient and he just watched while the EMT's worked. As the patient's condition declined he got more involved but it was really hard to watch. Obviously a single instance doesn't prove anything, except that can happen!
DeleteI bet it can be frustrating! I know just from talking to you that there are rules about engagement, do you think these factor in?
DeleteThey do factor in. Everybody has different stances but I am more than willing to sacrifice my license because I'm helping someone where I'm not technically allowed to. Other responders use their license for their living so sacrificing it is a much more difficult concept.
DeleteInteresting article! I agree & think just taking some form of action - whether it's doing something yourself, or getting someone else to do something / get away, etc is important. In an emergency, it seems that any action is better than no action in a lot of cases.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job explaining the bystander effect! I just had a few questions that I am not sure if you came across the answer to when writing your post and researching this topic. Do you know if males or females are more likely to help others in accidents? Or are certain types of people more likely to help than others (i.e. are people m roe likely to help others that are either their own race, gender, ethnicity, or only help certain groups; are people racist when it comes to helping others)?
ReplyDeleteI believe that males tend to be more likely to help in accidents (I'm assuming you're talking about Motor Vehicle Collisions?) because males tend to be emergency responders (which is changing). I didn't come across anything demographically when I was researching this topic.
DeleteI think the point you made in your blog, that in an emergency situation just do whatever you can no matter how small, is really important. When it comes to responsibility, its easy to assume we aren't the appropriate ones to help and worry about all the things we could do wrong. It's never crossed my mind that doing anything practical that comes to mind in a disaster will make a difference. I also never really thought about how just taking care of yourself can take care of someone else. Thanks for the insightful post!
ReplyDeleteIMPORTANT NOTE: there is one big exception to what I've been saying: personal safety. If the action you think you should take could endanger you or the patient it is quite important to wait for professional help!
ReplyDeleteGreat article Tim! I think it is very important for people to realize that they can always lend a helping hand in a crisis...obviously depending on what it is...even it is something small. Like you talked about in your article, a lot of people don't step in to help because they think they are unqualified, but everyone can be qualified to call 911 or help someone to safety. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people would rather pull out their phones to video tape an incident occurring rather than taking action and helping or getting help. Granted there are those people who are willing to spring into action, but not many. Thanks for the informational blog post!
ReplyDeleteGreat job displaying your take on the bystander effect. What I think makes some people stick out from the rest is people who are trained in first aid and people who have been on the other sit of a similar emergency. If more of the public took first aid certification classes as more of a requirement, I think more people would be able to take responsibility.
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