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The role of distress in bystanders during street fights: A behavioural-based video-analysis on real-life conflict events

Fri, September 13, 3:30 to 4:45pm, Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest, Floor: Basement, Room 0.11

Abstract

Extensive research has been carried out on the role of bystanders during conflict situations. Recent research in criminology, based on real-life observations of public fights, documented that bystanders have an active role in de-escalating violence. However, it remains yet unclear what are the triggering factors in interventions.
Although it has been suggested that distress plays a role. While studies on non-human animal species suggests that the surgency of stress caused by witnessing a conflict situation promotes intervention, research on human samples highlight that distress tends to inhibit intervention. However, such studies have been limited to simulated conflicts in artificial settings, lacking a suitable methodology for the observation human distress in real life situations.
This study explores how people respond through emotional expressions when witnessing a street fight. It focuses on an analysis of emotional responses of bystanders observed with CCTV cameras in 30 incidences of street fights in Amsterdam. We draw on a systematic video analytical method inspired by behavioural biology to evaluate the emotional state of bystanders and defines the possible mediating function of distress, such as social interaction, affiliation with other bystanders and intervention. In conclusion, the study offers a novel approach to the research of the bystanders’ role by introducing a combination of real-life and behavioural-based analysis in the study of emotional drivers, contributing to underpin the importance of decision-making in public spaces, and seeking to deepen the understanding of the social dynamics of violence and interventions.

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