Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Heartless Shoppers Step Over Dying Woman
According to this story in the Wichita Eagle, Wichita police say a convenience store video shows five different people stepping over 27 year old LaShanda Calloway as she lay on the floor dying after being stabbed during an altercation with another woman. The first 911 call was made approximately two minutes later. Calloway is also seen attempting to stand and falling back to the floor three times while customers ignored her to continue their shopping. One woman is seen stepping over the victim four times then pausing to take a picture of Calloway with her cell phone.
This horrific lack of concern for another human being is more common than you might think. Social psychologists call it the “bystander effect.” Studies show that people are more likely to assist someone in trouble when they are alone, and a group of bystanders is less likely to render aid. The larger the group is, the less chance that someone will help. Some of the factors that may contribute to the bystander effect are degree of danger, not knowing what to do, embarrassment, and diffusion of responsibility.
In this day and age many of us are hesitant about stopping to help someone because we may be putting ourselves in danger. Obviously not the case here, as it wasn’t too dangerous to continue shopping and walking around the store. Embarrassment is no excuse, nor is not knowing what to do. What you should do is call 911 immediately. That leaves diffusion of responsibility.
Diffusion of responsibility is when individual members of a group are unwilling to take personal responsibility for acting because the responsibility is shared by all. Therefore, the responsibility of each group member is lower than it would be for each individual. We have all seen this shameful behavior in cases of fan violence, riots, as well as acts of violence against individuals.
Social psychologists may call it diffusion of responsibility. I call it a crime. Every single person who stepped over LaShanda Calloway as she lay dying on the floor should be held legally accountable for not helping her, or at least not stopping to summon help right away. Having no human decency and a lack of personal responsibility should be against the law.
Donna Weaver
This horrific lack of concern for another human being is more common than you might think. Social psychologists call it the “bystander effect.” Studies show that people are more likely to assist someone in trouble when they are alone, and a group of bystanders is less likely to render aid. The larger the group is, the less chance that someone will help. Some of the factors that may contribute to the bystander effect are degree of danger, not knowing what to do, embarrassment, and diffusion of responsibility.
In this day and age many of us are hesitant about stopping to help someone because we may be putting ourselves in danger. Obviously not the case here, as it wasn’t too dangerous to continue shopping and walking around the store. Embarrassment is no excuse, nor is not knowing what to do. What you should do is call 911 immediately. That leaves diffusion of responsibility.
Diffusion of responsibility is when individual members of a group are unwilling to take personal responsibility for acting because the responsibility is shared by all. Therefore, the responsibility of each group member is lower than it would be for each individual. We have all seen this shameful behavior in cases of fan violence, riots, as well as acts of violence against individuals.
Social psychologists may call it diffusion of responsibility. I call it a crime. Every single person who stepped over LaShanda Calloway as she lay dying on the floor should be held legally accountable for not helping her, or at least not stopping to summon help right away. Having no human decency and a lack of personal responsibility should be against the law.
Donna Weaver
