I love Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. If there is anything to know about me in relation to TV, it is that I absolutely think Olivia Benson is America’s sweetheart. Deciding to treat myself to an episode, I came across episode 13 of season 17, titled “Forty-One Witnesses.” With a title like that, I shall admit I naively thought my favorite police squad would have an easy case to prove. Of course, I was wrong; a woman was sexually assaulted in the courtyard of her apartment complex, blatantly in the view of numerous windows- at least 100, I would guess. While multiple neighbors did see the young woman in need of help, nobody called the police. Why? Because the bystander effect.
The bystander effect is the phenomenon where aid is not given solely due to the fact that there are other people around. Bystanders assume it will be given and therefore do not bother extending a helping hand. In my senior year of high school, my English teacher would always say, “Apathy is so unoriginal.” And it is. Not only that, but it’s counterproductive. Annoying. Harmful. And the bystander effect is perhaps the most detrimental kind.
In the tenth grade, I was in the Creative Writing Academy at school so luckily, I had the opportunity to attend an English class at the University of Miami on Thursdays. By the time I would get back to my neighborhood, it would be around 10 p.m. The walk from the bus stop to my house was no more than five minutes, and on one particular night, I personally learned how all it took was less than one minute to never make it home. I was walking by the well-lit gas station on the corner when a car pulling out of it blocked my path and the driver opened the door. “Hey, sexy,” he said. He was of Hispanic descent and smelled of liquor. The traffic light turned red. His car was red. He got out of it and tried to reach for me. I shook my head and made my way around his car as he asked, “You need a ride?” He then lunged for me and luckily, I dodged it. With my 16-year-old heart beating much too fast, and my eyes scanning the street, registering about seven cars stopped at the red light, I was no more than five feet from other drivers. Why did they not care or at least keep my gaze? The passenger side door opened up and the driver’s accomplice lunged at me as well, keeping his head down as if to prevent me from seeing his face. At this point, I was in a heap of tears and blindly ran across the street, even though it was now a green light. The other drivers were aware of my presence, they saw these two men attempting to abduct me, did they think walking at such an hour was my fault? Did they think I liked the attention?
A few weeks later, I sat at a bus stop with another male present. On the adjacent road, a bus suddenly drove by with its banner reading ‘Emergency! Call police 911!’ I sat petrified while the guy near me crossed the street and went to the store, emerging with a bottle of soda. When he got back, I slowly turned to him.
“Did you see that bus that just drove by?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“Did you see what that bus said?”
“Yeah.” He sipped his drink.
“Did you call the police?”
He looked at me as if I was crazy. “No!”
I got up and took the hour-long walk home. I didn’t have a phone then, so when I got home, I frantically scanned the news channels hoping to not see any mention of a bus hijacking or robbery. Fortunately, I did not.
I do not know what it is about caring, but the general consensus seems to have declined. What would have become of me had I failed to dodge the grasp of those two men? Or if a car hit me as I ran across the street? What would have become of those people on that bus if it were in fact a serious emergency? What would the headline the next morning have read? Why do so many feel so resistant to take action because we assume someone else shall?
Like both my experiences, luckily the woman assaulted in her courtyard had a happy ending; a brave bystander, albeit reluctant, came forward with a testimony so detailed and precise her predators were put away. I could have easily been that woman, and unfortunately, I don’t think my story, let alone body, would have seen the light of day.
I make it my business to help others—to speak up, to step in, to call the police if undeniably need be- not because I just want to, but because I need to; because it’s human.
And quite honestly, this world needs a lot more people with a sense of humanity.
