Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Bystander Effect- In Our Own Backyard

We would like to think that someone in need does receive help in Australia. However, this is not the case. Many of you may remember an incident last year with an Aboriginal Elder, Ms Barton. Ms Barton, a respected 62-year-old elder, was making her way to work. She wasn't feeling very well and accdiently caught the wrong bus and ended up on the wrong university campus. After making her way to the right bus stop, feeling extremely ill, she fell over. All of the contents of her bag fell onto the ground and no one bothered to held her. Stuggling to pick it all up, she began to vomit. This was at 12:15pm. She lay there in her own vomit, and still vomiting periodically, until 5:45pm, when two Japanese students asked if she was ok. The students called security, and then an ambulance. Ms Barton had suffered a mild stoke, and only after 5 hours, did someone come to her aid. This incident shows the bystander effect clearly, and it has been suggested that it also shows the stereotype of Aboriginals being drunk and hence vomitting from too much alcohol.

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1585925.htm

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