The Discovery of the Rosetta Stone Essay Example for Free

The Discovery of the Rosetta Stone Essay The Discovery of The Rosetta Stone One of the most important by-products of the French invasion of Egypt was the knowledge gathered by the scientists and historians who journeyed along with the army. But, of all the discoveries made, the most important was the Rosetta Stone, the key that unlocked the ancient marvels of Egypt. Do any of you know what the Rosetta Stone is? The Rosetta stone is a very important artifact that was discovered during the French invasion of Egypt in the year 1799. You may ask why this is important. Well because of the Rosetta Stone, the historians and scientists now understand ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Previous to the discovery, Egyptian writing had been indecipherable. It was August 20th 1799 when the slab of dark stone was uncovered where the soldiers had knocked down a wall of Fort St. Julien. They sent it back to France to be studied. When the French surrendered Egypt to Britain in 1801, the conquerors also decided that the stone be surrendered, also. It was taken the British Museum. It wasn’t until more than 20 years later did someone start to decipher the writing. A British Scientist, Thomas Young and a French scholar Jean Champollion both contributed to the translation we have today. Then, it took another 20 years to interpret the whole slab. The text on the stone is a decree from Ptolemy V, describing the repeal of various taxes and instructions to raise the statues in temples. The Rosetta Stone is 45 inches high at its highest point, 28. inches wide and 11 inches thick. It weighs nearly 2,000 pounds and is currently described as a ganodiorite of a dark grey-pinkish color. Despite vigorous campaigns to return the Rosetta Stone to Egypt, it remains in the British Museum, as it has almost continuously since 1802. So thanks to Napoleon, and the scientists and historians that traveled with him to war, along with the translators of the stone, we now know much more about the ancient Egyptians, and their peculiar style of writ ing.

Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capital Punishment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Should Christians support the death penalty? The answer to that question is controversial. Many Christians feel that the Bible has spoken to the issue, but others believe that the New Testament ethic of love replaces the Old Testament law. Old Testament Examples Throughout the Old Testament we find many cases in which God commands the use of capital punishment. We see this first with the acts of God Himself. God was involved, either directly or indirectly, in the taking of life as a punishment for the nation of Israel or for those who threatened or harmed Israel. One example is the flood of Noah in Genesis 6-8. God destroyed all human and animal life except that which was on the ark. Another example is Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18-19), where God destroyed the two cities because of the heinous sin of the inhabitants. In the time of Moses, God took the lives of the Egyptians' first-born sons (Exod. 11) and destroyed the Egyptian army in the Red Sea (Exod. 14). There were also punishments such as the punishment at Kadesh-Barnea (Num. 13-14) or the rebellion of Korah (Num. 16) against the Jews wandering in the wilderness. The Old Testament is replete with references and examples of God taking life. In a sense, God used capital punishment to deal with Israel's sins and the sins of the nations surrounding Israel. The Old Testament also teaches that God instituted capital punishment in the Jewish law code. In fact, the principle of capital punishment even precedes the Old Testament law code. According to Genesis 9:6, capital punishment is based upon a belief in the sanctity of life. It says, "Whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God, He made man." The Mosaic Law set forth numerous offenses that were punishable by death. The first was murder. In Exodus 21, God commanded capital punishment for murderers. Premeditated murder (or what the Old Testament described as "lying in wait") was punishable by death. A second offense punishable by death was involvement in the occult (Exod. 22; Lev. 20; Deut 18-19). This included sorcery, divination, acting as a medium, and sacrificing to false gods. Third, capital punishment was to be used against perpetrators of sexual sins such as rape, incest, or homosexual practice. Within this Old Testament theocracy, capital punishment was extended beyond murder to cover various offenses.

The Phenomenon of Human Trafficking

Table of contents 1. Introduction2 2. Definition of Key terms;2 2. 1. Human trafficking2 2. 2. Victim2 3. Victims of human trafficking3 4. Trends in human trafficking3 5. Causes of human trafficking4 5. 1. Poverty and desire for better life of exploited victims4 5. 2. Corruption and the abuse of influence4 5. 3. High profits and Low risk. 5 6. Recruitment strategies for human trafficking victims6 6. 1. Being born in to slavery6 6. 2. Use of force6 6. 3. Fraud6 6. 4. Coercion7 7. SEVERE FORMS OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS8 7. 1. Sex Trafficking8 8. Prevention of trafficking in humans8 . 1. Economic alternatives to prevent and deter trafficking8 8. 2. Public awareness and information9 8. 3. Protection and assistance for victims of trafficking9 9. Case study10 9 held for human trafficking – News 2410 10. Conclusion11 11. References12 Introduction The phenomenon of human trafficking or modern-day slavery has received increased media coverage globally; this is because millions of peopl e around the world suffer in silence under slave-like conditions of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation from which they cannot free themselves. Human trafficking not only continues but appears to be on the rise worldwide primarily because most countries are involved in human trafficking to some extent, either as a place of recruitment, transit or the destination for trafficked individuals. This essay addresses the phenomenon of human trafficking as a form of victimisation and will define key concepts, identify and discuss victims of human trafficking and its trends. The discussion will further look in to the causes of vulnerability to trafficking, reasons for trafficking, strategies for recruiting trafficked people and the responses or courses of action to reduce human trafficking. A case study of recent trafficking issue will also be provided to show the reality of the problem and lastly the conclusion will sum up the discussion in a nutshell. Definition of Key terms; 1 Human trafficking Hodge and Lietz (2007; 163) explain that human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people, by the use of force, threat or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, and deception. It also includes the abuse of power and position by giving or receiving payments to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation as explained by Hodge and Lietz (2007; 163) include forced prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour and services, servitude and the involuntary removal of organs. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime explain human trafficking as an act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them (UNODC, 2010). 2 Victim According to Howley and Dorris (2007; 229) victims are persons who have suffered harm, including physical or mental injury, emotional suffering including grief, economic loss and/or substantial impairment of rights accorded them by the state law through acts or omissions that are in violation of the criminal law operating in the territory. Victims of human trafficking Winterdyk and Reichel (2010; 5) states that human traffickers tend to victimize the most vulnerable of the global community consisting mostly young women and children and to a certain extent men. According to Winterdyk and Reichel (2010; 5) victims live in desperate, brutal circumstances behind a wall of secrecy and deception and the victims are often sick due to physical and psychological trauma they experience especially when they try to escape. Bales (2004; 56) further elaborates that traffickers instil trauma through a sense of terror and helplessness and by destroying the victims sense of self. Perpetrators also threaten death and serious harm against victims and their families, they also isolate their victims from sources of information and emotional support where they can get help (Bales, 2004; 56). An explanation by Fichtelberg (2008; 151) clearly states that victims of human trafficking are forced into sex trade industry which includes prostitution, pornography, sex tourism, strip dancing, live-sex shows, servile marriages or illegal labour markets such as sweatshops, farm work, domestic work , industrial work, begging, child soldiers, participating in crime or other activities they did not agree to engage in. Fichtelberg (2008; 152) further elaborates that victims are often â€Å"invisible† as they are often isolated from their family members and other members of their ethnic and religious community and therefore unable to speak the local language and unfamiliar with the culture. Victims may not self-identify themselves as victims of human trafficking due to lack of knowledge about the criminal justice system of the host country, fear of retribution against themselves and their families by traffickers, fear of accusation within their families, post traumatic stress disorder and stigma (Fichtelberg, 2008; 152). Trends in human trafficking According to Hodge & Lietz (2007; 163) determining the number of individuals who are trafficked is difficult due to high levels of secrecy and corruption within the human trafficking industry. Furthermore, victims are often hesitant to share their experiences due to fear of reprisals and as a result estimates of the prevalence of trafficking have varied considerably. Hodge & Lietz (2007;163) further states that approximately 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually, of which 70- 80% are female and approximately 50% are children. Among all females, approximately 70% are trafficked for prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, while the remaining are males trafficked for forced labour and performing criminal activities for their traffickers (Hodge & Lietz, 2007;163). Causes of human trafficking 1 Poverty and desire for better life of exploited victims According to Logan, Walker and Hunt (2009; 10) poverty is one most important factor in becoming a target of human trafficking because the poverty that the trafficked immigrants experience in their countries of origin is too extreme that it threatens even basic survival, thus making them vulnerable to any promises of better livelihood. Logan, Walker and Hunt (2009; 10) further elaborates that vulnerability to trafficking is on the rise due to a mix of poverty and high levels of population density, infant mortality rate, children younger than 14, civil unrest and violence, cultural acceptance of trafficking and lower levels of food security in those poverty stricken nations. In addition, Logan, Walker and Hunt (2009; 10) explain that impoverished people often want to go to stable and wealthy countries like America for a better life then criminals use their dreams against them and put them into trafficking as they are desperate and willing to accept any opportunity to better their livelihood and help their family members who are also struggling. Corruption and the abuse of influence Surtees (2008;49) explains that corruption of government authorities including politicians, state functionaries, law enforcement officers and immigration officials play a critical role in the operation of human trafficking networks and allows trafficking to continue from, through, and within their countries. Surtees (2008;49) further elaborates that these corrupt officials supports trafficking in many ways; through document falsification, illegal border crossings, overlooking prostitution venues in identifying victims, compromising criminal investigations, lack of investigation and judges dismissing cases or imposing minimal sanctions against international human trafficking networks. Lehti and Aromaa (2007; 125) also states that some individuals within international organized crime syndicates are current or former officials and use their position and/or experience to support criminal ventures. Former members of security agencies, for example, are able to combine their security experience (which includes intimidation and torture) with high-level connections to political, professional and law enforcement agencies, allowing them to function with impunity by hiring legal and business experts as intermediaries or brokers through which they recruit people for trafficking (Lehti and Aromaa, 2007; 125). 3 High profits and Low risk. According to the U. S Department of State (2004) human trafficking is the third most profitable form of international organised crime after narcotics and arms sales. According to this report the sale of trafficked people is generating massive profits for traffickers because unlike narcotics and arms, which are sold once, people who are sold into prostitution and involuntary servitude earn profits continually, year after year, for their exploiters while victims get minimal wages or basically nothing due to debt bondage imposed to them by traffickers (U. S Department of State, 2004). In addition to high profits, Hodge & Lietz (2007; 166) explains that the risks associated with trafficking are quite minimal because prostitution is legal in many places like Germany and Netherlands therefore complicating efforts to incarcerate traffickers. Hodge & Lietz (2007; 166) further elaborates that even in countries where prostitution is clearly illegal, traffickers often go unpunished for their crimes because cases regularly fall apart due to lack of protection for witnesses, family involvement in the trafficking activity and fear of deportation. Furthermore, enforcement efforts usually focus on the women instead of the exploiters, consequently people often attempt to remain unnoticed for fear of being charged, particularly if they are trafficked internationally (Hodge & Lietz, 2007; 166). Recruitment strategies for human trafficking victims A study by Skinner (2008; 131) states that people are trafficked in three main ways which include being born into slavery, use of force i. e. eing kidnapped, sold, or physically forced and by fraud or being tricked. 1 Being born in to slavery According to Skinner (2008; 131) in some countries families may be permanent servants because they were born into it. This is mainly because their families may have been slaves or in debt bondage literally for generations and when they bear children they are automatically under the same circumstances and may be sold to whoever is involved in the human trafficking business. 2 Use of force Skinner (2008; 131) contends that in some countries children are literally sold into slavery out of their will by parents or other caregivers mainly because of the economic situations of the families. Skinner (2008; 131) further states that victims are then raped, beaten, intimidated, tortured and confined so as to control them after they have being sold. Forceful violence as explained by Skinner (2008; 131) is used especially during the early stages of victimisation, known as the ‘seasoning process’, which is used to break the victim’s resistance so as to make them easier to control. In some cases, Skinner (2008; 131) states that people who are often approached to work in the sex industry often refuse and traffickers may kidnap or abduct such individuals and smuggle them to the country of destination to work as slaves or sold to other traffickers. 3 Fraud Hyland (2001; 31) states that traffickers use seemingly legitimate organizations to recruit young women and children in to trafficking situations. This often involves the use of false advertisements promising desperate people a better life in another, usually richer, nation that offers jobs to work as waitresses, maids, landscapers and dancers. In other cases, Hyland (2001; 31) explain that women who work in nightclubs may be approached and promised much higher earnings for doing similar work in wealthier nations only to find that they will be forced in to prostitution and sex related exploitations. According to Hyland (2001; 31) some victims may be made to sign false contracts to make the whole experience seem even more legitimate, and sometimes psychologically binding them even more to the trafficker to erase any suspicions from the victim. Hyland (2001; 32) further states that in some instances, victims are approached by individuals known to their families in their home countries who invite them to come along with them for a job offer but only misleading them into trafficking situations where are often subjected to debt-bondage, usually in the context of paying off transportation fees into the destination countries. 4 Coercion According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), traffickers often make representations to their victims that physical harm may occur to them or others should the victim escape or attempt to escape. Such representations can have coercive effects on victims as direct threats to inflict such harm may cause victims to live in fear and become hopeless and hence easy to control. Coercion as explained by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000) means threats of serious harm to or physical restraint of any person, it also includes any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to make a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or the abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process SEVERE FORMS OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), severe forms of trafficking in persons’’ involves sex trafficking in which a commercial sex work is imposed on someone by the use of force, fraud, or coercion. It also includes recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labour or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. Sex Trafficking According to Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) sex trafficking means the recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex. Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) further states that sex trafficking is no longer primarily localized in one geographic region but has increasingly become a transnational and a global problem. For example, a young girl may be recruited in Botswana, sold and â€Å"trained† in Italy, with the United States being the ultimate destination. Moreover, Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) states that traffickers primarily target young women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by poverty, the lack of access to education, chronic unemployment, discrimination, and the lack of economic opportunities in countries of origin. According to Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) most trafficking victims originate in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and to a lesser extent, Latin America while destination countries tend to be wealthy nations like America in which large sex industries like pornography exist or where prostitution is legalized or broadly tolerated as in the case of Germany and Netherlands. Prevention of trafficking in humans 1 Economic alternatives to prevent and deter trafficking According to Beyrer (2001; 547) states that initiatives to enhance economic opportunities for potential victims of trafficking can be used as a method to deter trafficking since the traffickers often target people who live in poverty in the promise for better livelihood. Such initiatives may include microcredit lending programs, training in business development, skills training, and job counselling. Other alternatives as stated by Beyrer (2001; 547) are the provision of grants to nongovernmental organizations that can help to accelerate and advance the political, economic, social, and educational roles and capacities of women in their countries. Furthermore, countries should initiate programs that promote women’s participation in economic decision which can help to empower women economically as they appear to be the primary target and most vulnerable to human trafficking (Beyrer, 2001; 547). 2 Public awareness and information Beyrer (2001; 548) states that countries should establish and carry out programs to increase public awareness on human trafficking particularly among potential victims about the dangers of trafficking and the protections that are available for them. Beyrer (2001; 548) further elaborates that governments should initiate programs to keep children, especially girls, in schools to reduce vulnerability at an early age and to educate persons who have been victims of trafficking. Moreover the development of educational curricula covering issues of human trafficking can also help to create awareness at an early stage Beyrer (2001; 548). Protection and assistance for victims of trafficking According to Beyrer (2001; 549) victim protection begins when a victim is rescued and reunited with their family and continues when they are assisted to rebuild their lives. It may include keeping victims safe from threat, violence and abuse, counselling, help with income generation, education and vocationa l training. Beyrer (2001; 549) further states that prosecution of traffickers ensures the victim receives full justice, including meaningful prosecution of the perpetrator. It requires vigorous law enforcement, fighting corruption, identifying and monitoring trafficking routes, and cross-border coordination. Moreover, Beyrer (2001; 549) further states that protection and assistance of victims can be achieved through policies or framework including government and NGO guiding principles, plans and strategies, which support all of the anti-trafficking initiatives that assist victims. Case study 9 held for human trafficking – News 24 Ermelo – Nine Nigerian men arrested for alleged human trafficking have appeared in the Ermelo Magistrate's Court, Mpumalanga police said on Tuesday. Captain Leonard Hlathi said the men appeared in court on Friday, and their case was postponed to April 16 for a bail application. He said it was alleged that the men forcefully took a number of women from around the country to Ermelo, where they were forced into prostitution. They were given R30 a day for food, and from time to time they were forced to take drugs to ensure they remained addicts. The 12 women, between the ages of 18 and 30, told the police the men took all their earnings and they were not paid for the jobs that they were doing. Home affairs officials confirmed that the suspects applied for asylum in South Africa, and according to the information in their application forms, they do not qualify for asylum. † He said they were being charged under the Sexual Offences Act and for kidnapping. â€Å"These men can consider themselves a bit lucky as human trafficking laws are in the process of being legislated. These acts of the suspects were exactly equivalent to human trafficking. † Source; news24. com The above case study reflects on the reality of the problem of human trafficking in South Africa as it the case in all countries around the world. According to the case study it is evident that traffickers target mostly young women who are more vulnerable and defenceless. As already discussed trafficking is a sustained by huge profits due to exploitation of the victims, the case study further support that statement as it states that the victims were given only a little amount enough to buy food and the profit they make from forced prostitution goes to the perpetrators. Conclusion In conclusion, women, children and people in general are not property to be bought and sold, used and discarded. Rather, they are human beings with certain fundamental human rights that prevent them from being sold into slavery. People should therefore know their rights and exercise them and countries should unite and cooperate in the war against human trafficking because it is a very complicated problem that cannot be solved by one country as it is a multinational crime involving highly organised crime syndicates. Citizens should also assist in the war against human trafficking by avoiding flashy job opportunities which often offer unrealistic rewards. At last people should also report suspicious cases of trafficking as this victims often work in public places including restaurants, hotels and massage parlours. References Bales, K. , (2004). Disposable people: New slavery in the global economy. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press Beyrer, C. (2001). Shan women and girls and the sex industry in Southeast Asia: Political causes and human rights implications. Journal of Social Science and Medicine. Vol. 53. (6). Pp. 543–550. Fichtelberg, A. (2008). Crime without borders: An introduction to international criminal justice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Hodge . R. & Lietz . C. A (2007). The International Sexual Trafficking of Women and Children . Journal of Women and Social Work. Vol. 22 (2). Pp. 163-174. Howley, S. , & Dorris, C. (2007). Legal rights for crime victims in the criminal justice system. (3rd ed. , Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Hyland, K. (2001). Protecting human victims of trafficking: An American framework. Berkeley Women’s Law Journal. Vol. 16 (3). Pp. 29-71. Lehti, M. , & Aromaa, K. (2007). Trafficking in humans for sexual exploitation in Europe. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice. vol. 31 (7). Pp. 123–45. Logan. T. K. , Walker . R. & Hunt . G. (2009). Understanding Human Trafficking in the United States. Trauma Violence Abuse. vol. 10. (1). Pp. 3-30 Skinner, E. B. (2008). A crime so monstrous: Face-to-face with modern-day slavery. New York: Free Press Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), Human trafficking. (URL accessed 21 march 2010); http://www. state. gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2007/86205. html United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2010). Human trafficking. URL (accessed 20 March 2010): http://www. unodc. org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking. html

Essay on Case Study on International Joint Business Ventures

Executive Summary Attaining global competence when entering into international joint ventures, in order to be successful, is dependent on developing a strategic approach to Human Resource Management (HRM) that ties to Business Strategies and to the overall Organization’s mission, vision, goals and objectives. Through problem analysis of this case, this paper will show evidence that international initiatives must be tailored to implement HR policies and practices that will complement the workforce taking in consideration sensitivity issues internal and external to the home-country, cultural awareness and differences in standards such as education and diversity. It will be stated that remedies that would bring about organizational†¦show more content†¦This appears to be a movement towards a Global Strategy and an Integrative IHRM approach, an approach that includes a blend of parent practices with host practices of human resource management. 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Ethical Decision Making Ethical Decisions Essay - 1610 Words

When I think of making ethical decisions, I think of doing what’s right, but what exactly is the right thing and how do we define it? As humans we are all brought up under different circumstances, therefore we tend to distinguish from right and wrong in many different ways, especially at a young age when we first start to understand our moral behavior. This difference between the way we determine what’s right and what’s wrong is what makes it difficult for us humans to have the same understanding towards the frameworks for ethical thinking. So how do we base our ethical standards and how do they get applied to the specific situations we face? Philosophers and ethicists have helped answer these questions providing frameworks for making ethical decisions, these experts also suggest five approaches towards standards to which we should follow. Some believe this framework is too complicated for most people to employ in their decision making. 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In order to create a company wide culture of ethics, employees must believe that the organization has a desire to be ethical and see proof of this fromRead Moreethical decision making1211 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Ethical- Decision Making University of the Rockies Mabel Drafton Abstract Countertransference is how therapists distort the way they perceive and react to a client (Corey, Corey, and Callanan, 2011). Therapists are expected to identify and deal with their own reactions with consultation, personal therapy, and supervision that their clients will not be negatively affected by the therapist’s problem. Personal therapy is an effective way for therapists

Education And Enlightenment Of The Handicap Essay

home and were seen infrequently out in the public. Parents continued to see and felt the poor reception and fearful reaction to the paralyzed child parents kept them at home and for the most part out sight because they didn t want their child to be hurt and humiliated because of insensitivity and intolerance of others. Before schools such as the Home School and many more that specialized in the education and enlightenment of the handicap, to be more able and not disabled. Some well-meaning parents just didn t know where they could turn, they were at a cross wind, a crossroad at what to do with the education and the means they had and were given at time. Parents did the best they could and they felt that they were doing the right thing. Criticism is one thing, but parents need help not hardship. Regardless of whether or not a disability, there is stress in raising up the family. 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The Bystander Effect free essay sample

She was an ordinary working girl—not at all wealthy, nor a member of any elite class—and she had been followed and brutally murdered on March 13, 1964. Winston Moseley—a 29-year-old married man with two children who had no criminal record prior to Kitty’s killing—ventured off that night on a mission to kill. In his confession Moseley proclaimed, I went out that night intending to kill a woman (Gado). As he stalked the victim from her place of employment, he made his move by her apartment complex. As she frantically fought for her life and screamed for help, 38 witnesses failed to come to her aid. During the last 32 horror-filled minutes of her life, Kitty was stabbed 17 times and sexually assaulted by Moseley, and not one of the 38 bystanders called 9-1-1. Some stood at their windows and watched, one yelled for the man to stop, which frightened Moseley and led him to run off, lest he got caught. However, within minutes, when he realized that no one was coming to Kitty’s aid, Moseley came back to finish what he started. She could have been saved. She could have been alive right now. But not one witness made a move during the 32 minutes she had to suffer before she died. The Genovese case, though disturbing, is not unique. The inaction of the 38 witnesses to the murder is described by a psychological phenomenon known as the Bystander Effect. The Bystander Effect is defined by John M. Darley as an effect that â€Å"occurs when a person refrains from taking action because of the presence of others†¦the larger the crowd or group of bystanders, the more likely any given individual is to feel that he or she is not responsible for trying to alter whatever is going on. According to the Bystander Effect theory, all 38 witnesses in the Genovese case failed to act because they believed that someone else would help—let someone else take the responsibility. It makes one question what they would do in a situation such as Kitty Genovese’s murder. We all like to see ourselves as heroes. We all like to think that we would have intervened and saved the dayâ₠¬â€or at least called 9-1-1. But in reality, would we really have done anything? Would you have risked the fear or hassle to help a stranger? In terms of social psychology, the Bystander Effect is a crippling response to the loss of individuality faced in large cities. Kitty Genovese’s â€Å"case came to symbolize the corruption of modern city life, a life in which everyone is too frightened or too selfish to help another person, a life in which the value of humanitarianism has been forgotten, writes Professor Helen Benedict of Columbia University. The Bystander Effect is the result of the union of three social phenomena: diffusion of responsibility, social influence, and pluralistic ignorance. The marriage of these principles provides the perfect backdrop for the justification of inaction and lack of accountability in these cases. A common misconception among people is that there is safety in numbers. People feel that danger can be avoided or overcome if they are in a large group setting. However, according to the Bystander Effect Kitty Genovese would have been saved if there was only one eyewitness. When a single person is on a scene of a crime, they feel the responsibility to act because they are alone, and in their mind they are the victim’s ‘only hope’. However, when a crowd of people are witnessing a crime, the responsibility to help is shared throughout the people in the group. Each person feels that the duty to intervene falls to someone else—let someone else take the responsibility to act. Therefore, as the amount of bystanders increases on a scene, the responsibility to react decreases (Kasschau). This social principle is referred to as diffusion of responsibility. To further understand the diffusion of responsibility Bibb Latane and John Darley, two social psychologists, performed a test known as The Smoke-Filled Room experiment. In this experiment the psychologists rounded up volunteers from Colombia University who were told that they were coming in for an interview to discuss â€Å"some of the problems involving life at an urban university. † As the subjects came in for the interview, they were directed into a small waiting room where they were then assigned to fill out a preliminary questionnaire. However, in this waiting room they were tested on more than just questionnaires: after just minutes smoke starts streaming into the room through a wall vent. The subject’s response to the harmless smoke was carefully monitored and observed through a one-way glass. They were timed how long they remained in the room before leaving to report the smoke that was filling the room. The subjects were divided into three settings: alone, with two other passive participants (who were instructed to ignore the smoke), and 2 other subjects. When tested alone, 75% of the subjects responded quickly and reasonably reporting the smoke. In a group setting with two passive participants, 10% of the subjects actually reported the smoke. Lastly in a group setting of two other participants, who were also unaware that they were being tested on their response to this situation, 38% of the subjects reported the problem. Many people believe that being in a group setting provides a great opportunity for people to interact and talk through a situation in order to come up with the best solution. However, as shown by Latane and Darley, the exact opposite occurs. Seeing other people’s passiveness towards the smoke, made the participants decided that the smoke was not dangerous, and therefore can be ignored. To observe how a crowd can force inaction on others, as well as lead each person to overreact to an emergency, is very fascinating. In this case, people did not react to the smoke because no one else from the group seemed to be concerned about it. The responsibility to act in response to the smoke filling up the room was diffused among the individuals in that group: no one person was considered responsible for ensuring the safety of the others in terms of reporting the smoke to the proper authorities. When the participant was alone in the room, he/she felt responsible because no one else was around to take on the responsibility of reporting the smoke. The Smoke-Filled Room experiment demonstrates the human tendency to relinquish (or diffuse) responsibility when they enter a group environment. This experiment also shows how powerful social influence is on the decisions of an individual. When someone is socially influenced, their thoughts, feelings, attitudes, or behaviors also alter. This concept embodies the idea of peer pressure, and also extends further to explain the fundamental causes of this social phenomenon. On a subconscious level, people will imitate the people around them, regardless of their own perceptions on the situation. In a group setting, individuals are influenced by the majority, so they will adopt the particular attitude that the social group holds. This occurs because people start to second guess their own knowledge and opinion, once they realize that their opinion is contrary to the opinion held by the rest of the group. To further explore this principle, Solomon E. Asch, a social psychologist who received his Ph. D. from Colombia University in 1932, performed a famous experiment to  investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform. The subjects in his experiment were asked to judge lines of different length by comparing them to a set of different-sized lines. The task, in itself, was very simple—every participant was able to quickly recognize which lines were the same lengths. The difficulty came when the participants were asked to do judge the line lengths when they were in a group of people who were confederates to the experiment (the people were knew what the experiment was about and were playing along with the experimenter). The confederates were instructed to give the same wrong answer when they were asked to estimate the line length. The participants saw that the other people in the group gave an obviously wrong answer. Since every person in the group gave the same wrong answer, the participants became uncomfortable (as seen on the footage of the experiment), and seemed to doubt their initial observation. Then, when the turn came for the participants to estimate the line length, the majority of the test subjects gave the same wrong answer that the rest of the group had given. The subjects were visibly upset by the discrepancy between their perceptions, and those of others, and most caved under the pressure to conform: only 29% of his subjects refused to join the bogus majority. This technique was a powerful lens for examining the social construction of reality, and gave rise to decades of research on conformity. (McLeod) When someone is socially influenced, they are pressured (consciously or subconsciously) to conform to the ways of the crowd. In the mind of the subject the crowd (group) becomes more important than the individual, and the maintenance of the status quo of the group appears to become the highest priority of the individual. The individual changes how they behave because they seek approval and friendship of others. Then thoughts of social reward and punishment make a person chose to do something they are asked to do. The thought of social rewards and punishments lead the people to obey the order from someone they accept as an authority figure. Because individuals’ opinions are swayed so heavily from the people around them, intervening in a problematic situation begins to depend on how the ‘crowd’ is acting. If a woman is being stabbed repeatedly and everyone is merely watching, you might also just watch and not take any action because you are merely maintaining the status quo. Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University, was a researcher who continued Asch’s work and conducted another experiment studying social influence. This experiment focused on obedience of people. His subjects were ordinary people off the street whose jobs ranged from unskilled workers to professionals. The subjects were told that they are participating in an experiment which studied the effects of punishment on test scores. The subjects â€Å"randomly† assigned the role of ‘teacher’ while the other participant (who was a confederate to the experiment) was assigned the role of the ‘student’. The student and teacher were led to separate rooms so that the teachers could not see the student. The teachers were instructed by a person in a white laboratory coat (the authority figure) to deliver electric shocks to the student when the he got an answer wrong on a test. Each time the student answered a question incorrectly, the teacher was instructed to increase the level of voltage used to shock the student. The voltages for the shocks ranged from a very mild level—which only caused some discomfort—to a level high enough to be lethal. At the beginning of the experiment, the teachers administered the shocks to the student without thinking twice about the pain or discomfort they may be causing. As the voltage level of the shocks increased, the level of discomfort of the teachers also increased. At a certain voltage level the student was instructed to yell out and complain that the shocks were painful and that he did not want to participate in the experiment any more. These cries startled the teachers and increased their discomfort. Almost every participant confronted the person in the white lab coat, asking him to check on the student and stop the experiment since the person was obviously in pain. In response to their entreaties, the authority figure in the white lab coat informed them that the experiment must continue and that the teachers will not be held accountable for the pain the shocks brought to the student. Two-thirds of the participants delivered lethal-level shocks to the student after they were told to do so by an authority figure. The authority figure did not threaten the participants to induce them to continue the experiment. Nor did they tell them that they are not allowed to stop the experiment. The participants were simply told that the electro shock was imperative to the experiment that the teachers keep going. The participants were clearly unwilling to knowingly cause pain to the student; however, they were influenced by the authority figure and acquiesced to continue. Even if the instructions that the subjects received did not seem ethical, the majority of the group continued to obey the instructor as they heard the person’s fake screams of pain (McLeod). Diffusion of responsibility and social influence creates an excuse for bystanders to avoid intervening in a situation. Another key factor in the understanding of the Bystander effect is pluralistic ignorance. Unlike social influence, where an individual conforms to the same opinion as that of a crowd, pluralistic ignorance is â€Å"a situation where no one believes, but everyone thinks that everyone believes† (Krech and Crutcheld). In other words, unpopular moral principles influence an individual because they are mistakenly thought to be the view of the majority of the group. The actual thoughts, actions, beliefs and norms of the crowd are misjudged by individuals. This leads the entire group of to act on certain principles because they believe those principles are held in high esteem by the rest of the group. This creates a false group atmosphere in which no one acts on his own principles, and instead obeys the principles he wrongly believe are important to the rest of the group. Pluralistic ignorance is dangerous when a life is in jeopardy. Intervention is very hard to achieve when the group creates a false atmosphere in an emergency situation. A classic example of pluralistic ignorance is demonstrated almost daily in the classroom setting. When a teacher explains a complicated assignment or a difficult concept, he expects that the students will raise questions about anything which may be unclear. Dutifully, after a difficult lecture, the teacher pauses for a moment and asks the students if they have any questions regarding the material. Though the majority of the students in the classroom may have questions, they are hesitant to raise their hands and ask. This phenomenon appears counterintuitive. The students are in the classroom to learn. The teacher is more than willing to provide further explanation on the subject if the need arises. So, why do the students hesitate to ask? No hands are raised, and no questions are asked, until a brave soul decides to take a risk—to show that he doesn’t understand. Students interpret the lack of questions from their peers as a sign that everyone understands the assignment or the concept, so they avoid publically displaying the fact that they don’t understand something that seems to be quite clear to the rest of the group. They don’t want to show themselves as being less intelligent: the dunce of the class. The students are afraid of how the others might see them, thus they hold back what they really think or feel about a subject/concept/assignment. Pluralistic ignorance is not merely holding wrong beliefs about what others think and feel—pluralistic ignorance is the systematic error in norms and a genuine social phenomenon. A single person’s action can have a huge impact in an emergency. This person’s decision and the breaking of a norm in a society can mean the difference between life and death. In Kitty Genovese’s murder, the 38 bystanders were unwilling to ‘be different’ and unwilling to get past their deceiving thoughts. They allowed themselves to be influenced by the perceived status quo—to be socially influenced by the neighbors around them. They chose to conform to their surroundings and be ignorant of the truth, instead of realizing a human life was in their hands. The responsibility to call 9-1-1, or to act in some other way which would have stopped Kitty’s attacker, was diffused among the people in that community. No one felt like they were personally responsible for coming to the rescue of the young woman. Each witness believed that there must be someone else who would take the responsibility: let someone else act. As a result, not a single person stirred. The unwillingness of the neighbors to act in this horrific situation is magnified by the pluralistic ignorance demonstrated by the group. No doubt that these neighbors were not all bad people. Certainly, most of them probably did not enjoy watching a young woman they knew (however vaguely) getting raped and brutally murdered, right at their doorstep. However, regardless of what each person believed or how they felt about the situation, not one of them acted in a way which would have saved Kitty’s life. The neighbors saw that no one else was rushing down to help the young woman, therefore they all concluded that it would be against some ‘rule’ or custom for them to go down and act. An unpopular common lie was chosen, and a woman’s life was lost. The Bystander Effect provides an explanation as to why nearly 40 people stood idly at their windows or by their doors and watched as a young, defenseless woman was stabbed 17 times in the course of 32 minutes. This theory provides an insight into the reason why nearly 40 adults waited half an hour, listening to the panic-stricken screams of a dying woman, as her last breath was leaving her mutilated body. While the Bystander Effect provides an explanation for the appalling behavior of the neighbors, it does not provide any sort of justification. Just because a problem is identified and given a name does not mean that this problem is now acceptable in the eyes of society. The inaction of Kitty’s neighbors appalled the national and international community (Gado). People were shocked that no one would come and answer a cry for help. The lack of empathy demonstrated by the neighbors is unacceptable, no matter how well justified in a psychological sense. Intervening in a situation where the life and well-being of another person is concerned, is an essential part of communal life. What is the point of living near other people if they are not willing to help us? To respond appropriately to a situation three things must happen. First in an emergency we must identify the problem, then accept responsibility and then take action. Taking action and responsibility makes you a hero: Empathy is a key component of heroism, and in our culture its on a massive decline. As a society, were focused on achievements and status symbols like jobs and cars, and were losing our sense of responsibility toward others. If your primary identity is tied to helping others, rather than your social status, youre much likelier to act heroically. (Carter) Even though people like to see themselves as modern-day heroes, when they face a conflict their decisions are very selfish, and often not at all heroic. Though our weakness is obvious, overcoming this weakness is difficult and requires much determination and self understanding. Being unaffected by the Bystander Effect cannot be changed by a pill or a magic word. We have to strive to deny being influenced and do what is right—regardless of how that will wound our pride.