Shocking images have been flooding TV news bulletins lately, showing incidents of violence unfolding right in front of bystanders. Yet, instead of stepping in to help the victim, many simply pull out their phones and start recording. Watching from the comfort of our living rooms, most of us can’t help but wonder: why doesn’t anyone intervene? But the real question is: how would you react, if the same scene played out right in front of you? Would you step in to save the victim?

Renowned Greek psychiatrist Professor Antonios Dakanalis, speaking TO BHMA International Edition, explained that the hesitation most people display in such situations has grown into a global social phenomenon—one where individuals exhibit a chilling indifference and unwillingness to get involved. The phenomenon is now well-documented in the international literature as the “bystander effect.”

The Roots of the Bystander Effect

The phenomenon was first studied in depth by social psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley, who carried out a series of experiments. One experiment, involving a student who pretended to have an epileptic seizure inside a university lab, showed that when only one person was present, the likelihood of intervention was 85 percent, but when there were five witnesses, it plummeted to just 30 percent.

Image by Jono Hey, sketchplanations

The bystander effect is not new, said Dakanalis, but it has evolved and taken on new forms. It first captured the attention of psychologists in the 1960s after the brutal murder of a young woman, Kitty Genovese, in New York in 1964. Two weeks later, The New York Times ran a shocking headline: “37 Witnesses to the Murder, but No One Called the Police.”

Much has changed since the 1960s. Cities have grown larger, and while neighborhood bonds have weakened, we all now belong to a global, digital community. On social media, in comment sections or chat groups, we often witness verbal abuse and bullying, but few intervene. “Anonymity fosters disconnection, and large online audiences can turn into out-of-control mobs where personal responsibility dissolves,” the professor stresses, adding that Greek society is no exception.

Everyday Passivity and Its Causes

The bystander effect, also known as social passivity, is evident across different expressions of violence. According to Dakanalis, numerous media-reported crimes, both globally and in Greece, provide clear evidence of this behavior. Victims of domestic abuse, workplace bullying, rape, robbery, sexual harassment, and physical assault often remain unaided—even when surrounded by witnesses who choose not to act.

Bullying in schools has become a plague in modern society. “Often, classmates not only fail to intervene but film the attacks on their phones and upload them online. Such footage now appears almost daily on the news,” he stressed.

But what psychological, social, or cultural factors reinforce the bystander effect? Dakanalis noted that society tends to attribute behaving passively toward a crime to “moral decline,” “alienation,” or “indifference,” in an attempt to rationalize actions that contradict accepted values. People are quick to label those who failed to act as “bad,” while reassuring themselves that they would have behaved differently.

The truth is, as the professor pointed out, that people behave differently depending on context. In a crowd, responsibility becomes diluted. An individual assumes that someone else—more capable or better informed than they—will step in. They think: “It’s not my job.”

Fear is another factor. People worry about their own safety. Is the man lying on the street sick, drunk, or dangerous? The risk of the hassle of police interviews and court appearances is also a deterrent. Social conformity also matters. “Our prehistoric ancestors survived by aligning with their group. That instinct for uniform behavior persists: when people see others doing nothing, they interpret the situation as normal and follow suit,” highlighted the professor.

Despite there being no official statistics or research that measure the extent of the bystander effect in Greek society, the phenomenon seems to be on the rise, as the increasing frequency of such incidents in news broadcasts suggests. Unfortunately, the few studies that do exist in Greece are short-term and focus on people’s intentions to assist, rather than on whether they actually do help, the professor explained.

Breaking the Cycle

International research, however, shows that the bystander effect remains strong, but that certain factors mitigate it. For instance, people are more inclined to help if the victim is well-dressed, or if the danger is serious and the situation clear. Apathy decreases even more when witnesses know each other or the victim personally, or feel they share a common identity, Dakanalis pointed out.

So, can people be encouraged to intervene when faced with violence or injustice? Awareness of the bystander effect is crucial. Public campaigns, educational programs in schools, universities, and workplaces, and training that fosters a culture where non-intervention is unacceptable can make a real difference. “Research abroad shows such initiatives work: in public disputes, at least one person intervened in nine out of ten cases,” the professor noted.

Personal responsibility must be cultivated. Studies show someone’s decision to get involved largely depends on whether they’ve been trained to respond effectively without endangering themselves. Some countries have even enacted laws requiring citizens to intervene—or at least alert the authorities—in emergencies. These laws also protect bystanders from retaliation and preserve their anonymity.

Technology provides tools that make reporting easier and faster. Ultimately, Dakanalis emphasized that even a small act can make a difference. “Civil society and each of us individually have a role to play—because, as Edmund Burke warned, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’”