Coronavirus pandemic and the bystander effect

The Corona virus pandemic has forced millions of people to a lockdown that has immensely
altered their normal life. As anticipated, this lockdown has resulted in increased
psychological pressure. One avenue of expression of this this pressure is family violence
which, according to statistics, shows increased prevalence during this time of adversity.
During this period is crucial the role of bystanders such as relatives, friends and neighbors
who are aware of the situation and can take some form of action. Nevertheless, one well
researched phenomenon known as the bystander effect can negatively affect their role and
undermine their effect.

The bystander effect, or bystander apathy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect),

is a social psychological claim that individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when
other people are present; the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that one
of them will help. During this time of physical isolation, it's reasonable to expect that
neighbours will overhear family violence, including belittling or humiliating behavior, as well
as episodes of physical violence. Furthermore, they may notice signs of physical violence
during their encounter with the victim outside the house such as in the grocery store. At the
same time, however, research has identified that many bystanders, while concerned for
their neighbour, friends or family member, feel helpless as to how to respond to witnessing
or suspecting family violence. This is closely related to the bystander effect which makes the
bystanders less likely to take action.

How is this phenomenon explained by psychology? It is explained by a concept known as

diffusion of responsibility. The bystander believes that the responsibility for taking action is
diffused among the members of the group that are aware of the situation. And as a result,
he expects someone else to act who is more capable. In contrast, when the bystander is the
sole observer of the situation, he takes full responsibility, and the probability that he is going
to intervene is substantially increased. Another factor is how close the bystander with the
victim is. When they are not really close the bystander effect is amplified whereas in the
opposite case is mitigated.

What can be done to tackle this phenomenon? First of all, it is essential to raise awareness
of it and how detrimental can be for many victims of family violence who are in need of
support. For example, this can be achieved through educational campaigns. Second, it's
critically important to equip bystanders with the necessary knowledge and confidence as
how to respond or where to seek help. For instance, the government can support bystander
intervention by introducing a dedicated bystander helpline. In so doing, it can guide them to
the best course of action and reduce the incidents of violence. In general, the primary
objective of the government should be to instill a sense of accountability in its citizens. This
sense of accountability will have also other beneficial effects apart from tackling the
bystander effect such as curbing the spread of the virus.