I hadn't intended to post twice today, but the recent gang rape of a 15 year old at a homecoming dance in Richmond brought up for me some thoughts relating to artists in education. My first reaction was horror and a desire to avoid thinking about the incident. Then, listening to my car radio, I heard on NPR an interesting piece about something called the Bystander or Observer Syndrome. This effect was discovered from research after a 1960's murder in New York, when bystanders inexplicably failed to help.
Those of us who teach in middle or high schools are familiar with the taboo against 'snitching" and also with the "instigator" role in egging on antagonists in a fight, so the Richmond incident was especially worrisome. Why would people seeing a brutal beating and rape fail to call 911 -- even when they could do it secretly away from the scene and avoid retaliation as a "snitch?" The psychological research reports that the more bystanders there are in an emergency, the less likely anyone will even notice it's an emergency or take action to help. Sadly, this partly explains how slowly Americans reacted to the emergency of Jim Crow, or to the present emergency of global warming
It seems incumbent on us artists and educators -- let alone the general population-- to make sure that we all are aware of this "syndrome." That we help our students and audiences to realize the need for each individual human being to be a leader, to take personal responsibility to act, no matter how many others may be present as bystanders.
The larger context is frightening. I am eager to get our troops out of Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, etc. How responsible are we as a society and as a country to act?
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