It Has a Name! The Diffusion of Responsibility

I have been pondering why it is so hard to speak up in a social setting when someone is hurting another.

I know that I have a message to pour out into the Universe to help victims find their voice, and yet, it is actually quite difficult to find my own in group meetings that have turned ugly.

I just learned that social scientists have identified this phenomenon.

It even has a name.

It is called “The Diffusion of Responsibility.”  

These social researchers have described a strong negative correlation between the number of bystanders and the likelihood of someone speaking up.  What this means is that the more people that are present and watching the conflict unfold actually decreases the chance of someone intervening.

This dynamic started to be studied in the 1960’s when a woman was murdered and there were thirty-eight witnesses. No one called the police. No one intervened. Social scientists wanted to find out why.

This social process is very real and very much alive.  Fortunately, there is also a solution!

It seems that if ONE person will speak up, the rest in the group will become supportive. In other words, it takes one person to break the ice, then the rest will follow. Researchers have shown that once someone speaks up, others will too.

Now that you know this social dynamic exists, will you make a decision to be the one?  I am!