TY - JOUR

T1 - Rethinking Bystander Non-lntervention

T2 - social categorisation and the evidence of witnesses at the James Bulger murder trial

AU - Levine, R. Mark

N1 - "The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Human Relations, 52 (9), 1999, © The Tavistock Institute, 1999 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Human Relations page: http://hum.sagepub.com/ on SAGE Journals Online: http://online.sagepub.com/

PY - 1999/9/1

Y1 - 1999/9/1

N2 - Bystander apathy is a long established phenomenon in social psychology which has yet to be translated into practical strategies for increasing bystander intervention. This paper argues that the traditional paradigm is hampered by a focus on the physical co-presence of others rather than an analysis of the social meanings inherent in (non) intervention. The testimony provided by 38 bystanders at the trial of two ten year old boys for the murder of two and a half year old James Bulger is analysed. It is argued that their failure to intervene can be attributed to the fact that they assumed - or were told - that the three boys were brothers. The way in which this category of ‘ the family’ served to prohibit or deflect intervention is analysed. This approach is contrasted with a traditional bystander apathy account of the bystanders actions in the Bulger case. It is argued that bystander (non) intervention phenomenon should be analysed in terms of the construction of social categories in local contexts.

AB - Bystander apathy is a long established phenomenon in social psychology which has yet to be translated into practical strategies for increasing bystander intervention. This paper argues that the traditional paradigm is hampered by a focus on the physical co-presence of others rather than an analysis of the social meanings inherent in (non) intervention. The testimony provided by 38 bystanders at the trial of two ten year old boys for the murder of two and a half year old James Bulger is analysed. It is argued that their failure to intervene can be attributed to the fact that they assumed - or were told - that the three boys were brothers. The way in which this category of ‘ the family’ served to prohibit or deflect intervention is analysed. This approach is contrasted with a traditional bystander apathy account of the bystanders actions in the Bulger case. It is argued that bystander (non) intervention phenomenon should be analysed in terms of the construction of social categories in local contexts.

KW - bystander apathy • James Bulger • murder trial • social categories • the family

U2 - 10.1177/001872679905200902

DO - 10.1177/001872679905200902

M3 - Journal article

VL - 52

SP - 1133

EP - 1155

JO - Human Relations

JF - Human Relations

SN - 1741-282X

IS - 9

ER -