Would I be helped? Cross-national CCTV footage shows that intervention is the norm in public conflicts

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from APS via the DOI in this record.Replication data, statistical scripts, and video coding procedures are made available on the Open Science Framework - https://osf.io/xzjsgHalf a century of research on bystander behavior concludes that individuals are less likely to intervene during an emergency when in the presence of others than when alone. By contrast, little is known regarding the aggregated likelihood that at least someone present at an emergency will do something to help. The importance of establishing this aggregated intervention baseline is not only of scholarly interest but is also the most pressing question for actual public victims-will I receive help if needed? The current article describes the largest systematic study of real-life bystander intervention in actual public conflicts captured by surveillance cameras. Using a unique cross-national video dataset from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and South Africa (N = 219), we show that in 9 of 10 public conflicts, at least 1 bystander, but typically several, will do something to help. We record similar likelihoods of intervention across the 3 national contexts, which differ greatly in levels of perceived public safety. Finally, we find that increased bystander presence is related to a greater likelihood that someone will intervene. Taken together these findings allay the widespread fear that bystanders rarely intervene to help. We argue that it is time for psychology to change the narrative away from an absence of help and toward a new understanding of what makes intervention successful or unsuccessful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

Cross-national CCTV footage shows low victimization risk for bystander interveners in public conflicts

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Psychological Association via the DOI in this record Objective: Accumulating evidence shows that bystanders witnessing public disputes frequently intervene to help. However, little is known regarding the risks entailed for those bystanders who enter the fray to stop conflicts. This study systematically examined the prevalence of bystander victimizations and the associated risk factors. Method: Data were a cross-national sample of 93 surveillance camera recordings of real-life public disputes, capturing the potential victimizations of 417 intervening and 636 nonintervening bystanders. Results: Data showed that interveners were rarely physically harmed-at a rate of 3.6%-and noninterveners were virtually never victimized. Confirmatory regression results showed that conflict party affiliation was a moderately robust predictor of bystander victimization. The gender of the intervener was a highly fragile risk factor. More severe conflicts were not associated with a higher victimization likelihood. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the value of naturalistic observation for bystander research and emphasize the need for evidence-based bystander intervention recommendations. Data, materials, and postprint are available at osf.io/vyutj

Consolation in the aftermath of robberies resembles post-aggression consolation in chimpanzees

This is the final version. Available on open access from Public Library of Science via the DOI in this record. Data Availability: We fully respect and endorse the philosophy and derived data and computer code availability policy of PLOS, and would in fact welcome and encourage replications and extensions of our work. Access to the raw CCTV footage data will be granted by signing an agreement stating that the applicant (1) will use the data only for scientific purposes, (2) will not make the data accessible to third parties, and (3) will not publish results that will disclose the identity of the subjects in the data. To request access to the raw footage files or inquire about the conditions, please contact Ho-Young Wisselink, datamanager at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), at email address [email protected]. The analyzed data file with coded observations of the video footage and the code descriptions are added as supplementary files (S1 File and S2 File) to the manuscript submission. This allows readers to replicate the analytical parts of our research.Post-aggression consolation is assumed to occur in humans as well as in chimpanzees. While consolation following peer aggression has been observed in children, systematic evidence of consolation in human adults is rare. We used surveillance camera footage of the immediate aftermath of nonfatal robberies to observe the behaviors and characteristics of victims and bystanders. Consistent with empathy explanations, we found that consolation was linked to social closeness rather than physical closeness. While females were more likely to console than males, males and females were equally likely to be consoled. Furthermore, we show that high levels of threat during the robbery increased the likelihood of receiving consolation afterwards. These patterns resemble post-aggression consolation in chimpanzees and suggest that emotions of empathic concern are involved in consolation across humans and chimpanzees.Netherlands National Polic