When Will People Help in a Crisis?

Khaled Sharbatly

John Darley examines the conditions that are necessary for people to provide assistance
for others in an emergency situation. He identifies three significant stages necessary to achieve
this. First, one must notice that an event is occurring. Second, he must interpret that this event is
indeed an emergency. Third, he must decide that he has personal responsibility to intervene or
act. It is very interesting to see this as a subject of study, since I have always believed that it is a
question of common sense. If someone is in trouble, then I must do my best to help. Although
the thought that having more people around actually decreases the likelihood that someone will
help is morally shocking, it appears to make some logical sense when investigated further.
Darley states that if a larger group of bystanders is aware that an emergency is taking
place, then each individual will be less likely to intervene. Although this is terrible, it is very
much true, and observed in many situations. There is an inherent need to conform, and if
everyone believes that the situation is not urgent enough to garner physical intervention, then no
one will be willing to step forward. This lack of action can also be due to the idea of the dilution
of responsibility, as Darley mentions. If people are aware the others are also noticing the same
emergency, then they will believe that any one of those individuals share the same responsibility
to help, and personal drive to intervene is not as strong.
I believe that this is also true for the opposite situation. If there is a panic, then the state
of mind of a single frenzied individual is taken on by almost everyone else around him. This is
why it is stressed that people remain calm in emergency situations, since panic spreads rapidly.

The study shows that solitary people exposed to potential emergencies reacted more
frequently than those in larger groups, which reinforces this idea. Although one may assume that
having more people around when youre in trouble would increase chances of receiving help, it
is quite the opposite. The inaction of others may actually inhibit someone who would normally
provide help, and cause him to feel less responsible. This idea is unintentionally ingrained in our
minds. We are instructed to respect the privacy of others, as well as mind our own business.
Looking around and making eye contact may cause some embarrassment, and therefore one may
completely miss the situation entirely! And, even if he does notices, he may decide that its none
of his business, that he should let the situation take care of itself or for wait for someone else to
deal with it. Although this is an awful attitude to have, there is really no way to condition people
to help more, especially in public.