We have it in our power to begin the world over again. ~Thomas Paine
Have you ever found yourself in a situation that concerned you? You wanted to help. You thought, “I should really do something.” But, you didn’t. You are not alone – we’ve all been there. This is known as “Bystander Effect” – a phenomenon in which the greater the number of people present, the less likely individuals will be to intervene in a situation or assist a person in distress.
Experts on the Bystander Effect cite two major factors that create it – diffusion of responsibility and the “need” to behave in socially acceptable ways. The first occurs as a result of the fact that the bystanders believe that the responsibility to take action belongs to each member of the group (“Certainly, someone will do something to help”). Then, the second occurs when no one takes action and the bystanders believe inaction to be the acceptable, expected behavior (“That’s their personal business”).
This fairly recent re-examination of and focus on Bystander Effect provides underpinning for much of the work of HOPE. Our mission states that HOPE is an organization of social change. To effect the change that will reduce or eliminate domestic violence, dating violence, intimate partner violence, and stalking – bystanders have to be encouraged to become up-standers who take action. It does not have to be a grand gesture. Every gesture makes a difference. Albert Einstein noted that “The World is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
In order to effect true and lasting social change, HOPE (and organizations of similar missions) must broaden its historical scope. For 35 years, HOPE maintained steadfast principles that intended to empower victims and hold accountable perpetrators. However, there is no accountability to victims or victim-serving organizations for power-based violence – until a critical mass of society is willing to engage in and expect new behaviors. Shifting the paradigm, to the belief that the safety of each individual is a community responsibility requires proactive responses of engaged bystanders.
So, basically, if everyone in your community said domestic violence is not just a family matter; it is not just a neighborhood issue; it is not just a community issue; it is a global issue; and it is just not acceptable, the incidents of power-based violence in your community would begin to decrease.
Different from early prevention education strategies that address audience members as potential perpetrators or potential victims, bystander education programs address audience members as potential bystanders that can intervene to prevent power-based violence; such as domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying, etc. The approach encourages bystanders to speak out against social norms supportive of violence, and prepare them to provide support to survivors, and suggest that bystanders can help create new community norms for intervention to prevent unwanted behaviors and violence, increase others’ sense of responsibility for intervening and their feelings of competence, and provide role models of helping behaviors. A bystander focus creates less defensiveness responses because people are approached as potential allies rather than as potential victims or potential perpetrators. An emphasis on bystanders as prevention agents also reduces the occurrence of victim-blaming – where the sole responsibility for avoiding victimization is often placed on the potential victims.
You can support HOPE by becoming an active and engaged bystander. And for HOPE, bystanders come in all shapes and sizes and can help us change our world in many ways. To find out more information or support HOPE’s efforts, contact us through the website or call 724-224-1100.