In late October in Richmond, Calif., a 15-year-old girl leaving her homecoming dance to catch a ride home with her dad never made that connection. Instead, she was found behind her school with a group of 20 or more other students, gang-raped by at least 10 people while the rest of the crowd stood by and watched. The assault went on for two–and–a–half hours. Two suspects have been arrested, more are being sought.

Flashback to March 1964. Kitty Genovese returned home at 3:30 a.m. from work. Just outside of her large apartment building, a man, Winston Moseley, attacked her from behind and stabbed her several times. “Oh my God,” Genovese screamed, “He stabbed me, help!” Moseley ran away as Genovese attempted to enter her building for safety. Moseley returned and continued to stab and rape Genovese as she was dying. This attack lasted about 30 minutes had 38 confirmed residents in Genovese’s apartment building watched and did nothing. No one called for help until Genovese was nearly dead.

Social scientists began studying the phenomenon of bystanders witnessing an emergency situation and doing nothing to offer assistance when other people are present. What they learned is the probability of being helped is lessened by the greater the number of witnesses present at the situation. John Darley and Bibb Latane began studying this phenomenon in 1968 using participants along with those involved with the study. A common emergency situation that was used included filling a room with smoke where the participant and study confederates were located.

Darley and Latane found that bystanders in groups didn’t act in emergency situations for two reasons: First, people monitor the behaviors and reactions of others in the group to see if action is necessary. Second, people in groups tend to think that someone else is going to react, causing each individual bystander to feel less responsibility. If just one of the study confederates responded to the smoke by saying, “I think we should get out of here,” the group would respond with action. Without one person willing to step up, make a suggestion or move into action, the group was complacent to continue what they were doing — nothing.

Do you think this kind of thing only happens in big cities on the East and West Coast? I am horrified to say that it happens anywhere. Recognize that people are people no matter if they live in a big city on the coast or in the Midwest. In groups, we humans tend to pause, check our actions with those of others and frequently don’t step out of line in any way out of the ordinary. As a result, bystanders continue to be silent. Our community members continue to be bullied, assaulted, raped and murdered.

It takes one small step to lead others to respond. All it takes is a comment, observance or a question, and the group of bystanders begin to move towards reaction, action and response. 

Next time you find yourself in a classroom where a classmate is being targeted, rather than sit back and think you’re glad that it’s not you, try stepping up and asking a question to see if you’re understanding what is going on correctly. Next time you see a very intoxicated person at party, consider making sure they are safe, stop and check that everything is OK. And if you don’t know, do something to change the way the evening might result. Next time you see two men attacking each other with an escalating  argument, find a way to de-escalate the conflict or call the police for assistance. Next time you hear a couple fighting in the apartment next to you, knock on the door to make sure everyone is OK, or call 911.

There are more bystanders in our community than perpetrators of crime. If bystanders, as a collective, were willing to step up and take action, crime might decrease. This is our community. The targets of this hate and violence are members of our community. They may be your friends, classmate, family or faculty. Take care of each other. Be willing to step up and to not be a member of the bystanders who watch and do nothing.

Darley and Latane found in their studies that when one person mentions that the room is filling with smoke, the majority of subjects followed suggestions to take action. Notice the smoke filling our community and do something.

Penny Rice is a director of the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center from Annapolis, MD.