When witnessing a situation of an victim and 'incriminator', the degree of responsibility the witness has in helping the victim or stopping the 'crime' in progress. The degree of responsibility usually depends on three criteria; 1. Whether the victim is deserving of help, 2. The competence of the bystander,
3. The
relationship between the bystander and the 'victim'. The bystander can intervene in usually
two different ways; direct intervention, or, calling authorities.
I saw an old
lady getting her purse taken by some thug, i
just stood by and watched... later i felt
confused and guilty. The feeling i felt could be described as the bystander effect