We discuss the disturbing video footage of a North Hollywood man kidnapping a woman in broad daylight and the bystander effect; the year-to-year increase in unruly passenger behavior on airplanes; what LA's new Prop HHH would mean for the city's homeless; plus, maybe the secret to marriage is not marriage at all - but cohabiting?
How to avoid the 'bystander effect': Point to a specific person, demand help
A woman is dragged out of a store in broad daylight by a hammer-wielding man and the whole thing is caught on camera. But despite there being witnesses to the incident, no one steps in to help.
This is just one example of what psychologists refer to as the “bystander effect,” a phenomenon made famous by the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in New York. In that case, 38 people allegedly witnessed the attack but didn't call police.
It may have happened again Wednesday night at a convenience store in Exposition Park. Surveillance camera video shows a man pulling the female clerk out of the store, past someone who looks like a mail carrier and at least one other person who was outside at the time, though it’s unclear exactly how many people witnessed the incident. The suspect forces the clerk into the passenger seat before driving away without anyone stepping in to help.
dramatic video of terrifying abduction caught on camera. Victim escapes after taken to cemetery. Suspect arrested after pursuit.
— Leanne Suter (@abc7leanne)
#BREAKING dramatic video of terrifying abduction caught on camera. Victim escapes after taken to cemetery. Suspect arrested after pursuit. pic.twitter.com/1yoYTFEvXf
— Leanne Suter (@abc7leanne) September 29, 2016
San Diego State University psychology professor Jean Twenge says social psychology research shows that, despite what you may think, this is actually to be expected.
“The more people who were witnessing one of these dangerous or emergency events, actually the less likely that anyone will intervene,” says Twenge. “If people are alone when they witness such an event, they’re actually more likely to intervene.
Twenge says the more people witness a scene like Wednesday's, the less responsibility each feels. Onlookers tend to assume someone else will do something, or if they look around and see no one is moving to intervene, they won’t either. The silver lining to this story is that the clerk escaped from the car and witnesses were able to describe the car to police, who arrested the suspect near his home.
So, what should you do if you find yourself in a situation like this?
“The advice that’s usually given is first you want to specifically point to one person, says Twenge. “Don’t just yell, ‘Somebody help me!’ Point to a specific person. ‘You, in the red shirt! Call 9-1-1!’ or ‘You! Help me!’ Or say, ‘I don’t know this person!’ or something to clarify the seriousness of the situation.”
AirTalk listener Elliot in Altadena shared a story about a time he saw a large, muscular man hit a woman outside a Miami coffee shop. As the man went into the store and the woman sat crying in the car, Elliot says he and several others wanted to help, but didn’t know how.
“We called the police, but I was at a loss as to what to do. I couldn’t beat this guy up. Three of us probably couldn’t beat him up. He was a very strong, aggressive guy and I didn’t know what the right action was. I wanted to intervene but I didn’t feel like I could.”
William in Palm Desert says when he found himself in a similar situation, watching a man beating a woman at a bus stop, he called the police right away and followed the man until they arrived.
“All I could think when I was watching this is, ‘What if this was my wife, my mother, my sister, somebody in my family being in that situation?” I don’t even remember having the thought of whether to intervene. It was an immediate reaction to grab the phone, start making noise, and let that person know someone was witnessing it.”
Amy in Van Nuys says she’s found herself in situations like this several times, where domestic violence was involved, and each time she intervened.
“So often we feel like it’s not our place because this is a private relationship, whereas maybe if we knew that they didn’t know each other, we feel then it’s appropriate [to step in]. But if the man knows the woman, we shouldn’t get involved because he’s beating her? I just don’t understand that thinking. And to me, it’s worth the risk of potentially being hurt, because I can’t walk away and not intervene. Even had I been hurt, that’s still worth more to me than had I walked away and not gotten hurt but she had and I knew I could’ve prevented it.”
Twenge adds that while these types of situations are rare, it can be helpful to think about what you’d do ahead of time. Things can often get confusing in the situation, she says, so it’s good to be aware of the fact that you might be less inclined to help if other people are around.
Guest:
Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University; She is author of the book, “Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled--and More Miserable Than Ever Before” (Free Press, 2006)
Amid increase in reported ‘air rage’ incidents, a look at causes and ways to prevent them
Incidents of unruly passenger behavior are increasing aboard commercial flights. That's the finding of a new airline industry report which found a 14-percent year-to-year increase in incidents of passengers gone wild.
Most of the incidents involve verbal abuse, failure to follow instructions, and general antisocial behavior. Eleven-percent involve physical aggression toward passengers or crew, or damage to the aircraft itself. The report adds that alcohol or drug intoxication is a factor in about a quarter of the cases.
The report, from the International Air Transport Association claims most of these cases involved people who boarded the flight drunk or high.
If you're an airline professional like a flight attendant or commercial pilot,or even just a frequent flier, what are you experiencing in the air? Are passengers generally acting out more? If so, what do you think is the reason? Have you seen a particular notable episode of threatening behavior by a fellow passenger? How was it handled?
Guest:
Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants; she tweets
Could humans have inherited murderous tendencies?
A recent study, published in the journal Nature, found that humans “have inherited a propensity for violence.”
As reported by the Associated Press, the study took a look at phylogenetics, or the genetic closeness between species, to find out if humans could have inherited murderous tendencies. Results showed that the more closely related species are, the more similarly violent they are as well. And the level of violence a species has, in both humans and primates, depends on how violent their society is. So would chimpanzees wipe each other out if they could use guns? More than likely, the answer is yes, but only among their own close-knit groups.
But humans have become less violent throughout history, and that may be due to cultural, ecological or social factors.
So how could we inherit these murderous tendencies and what makes us different from primates that genetically resemble humans? Larry speaks to anthropology professor and reviewer of the study, Michael Wilson, to find out.
Guest:
Michael Wilson, associate professor of anthropology, with a joint appointment in the department of ecology, evolution and behavior at the University of Minnesota; he reviewed the study, “The phylogenetic roots of human lethal violence” for the journal Nature.
Debate: Prop HHH, the $1.2-billion homeless housing bond
Homelessness has become a front-burner issue for the city and county of Los Angeles. Pretty much everyone agrees that there is a homeless crisis, but there’s little consensus otherwise on how best to solve the problem.
Enter Proposition HHH, which would build 8,000 to 10,000 permanent housing units to house the homeless, as well as fund the construction of affordable housing units.
The prop has a price tag of $1.2 billion, and has wide-ranging support, including from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, United Way, and the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce.
But, of course, not everyone is happy with it. Opponents say that building new units is not the best way to tackle the homeless issue, and criticize the plan for not devoting resources to the mental health challenges many homeless people face. Others argue that renters -- not just property owners -- should also also be put on the hook to pay for it.
The proposition, which is on the Nov. 8 ballot, requires two-thirds of the vote to pass. The money required for the project would be funded by a new property tax on residential and commercial properties.
Guests:
Jose Huizar, Los Angeles City Councilmember representing District 4, which includes Boyle Heights, Downtown LA and other neighborhoods
Mark Ryavec, president of Venice Stakeholders Assn., and former chief deputy assessor for Los Angeles County. He recently co-wrote an op-ed for the LA Times in opposition of Prop HHH
The secret to true marital-like bliss: cohabiting?
With the high-profile splits of so many Hollywood marriages, a couple such as actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell are a marvel for staying together for 33 years.
Their secret to successful romance, according to Hawn, is that they never got married. She says, otherwise they "would have been long divorced." She said on Britain's ITV this week not getting married "gives you the freedom to make decisions one way or the other."
While tons of social research says marriage equates to greater health and happiness, there is not a lot of research on long-term cohabiting. What are your experiences of common-law relationships?
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Stephanie Coontz, Director of public education, Council on Contemporary Families, Author, "Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage."