Bystander passivity both legitimizes perpetrators and transforms the bystanders themselves

Evidence

This chapter will focus on the psychology and role of both perpetrators and bystanders. Bystanders to the ongoing, usually progressively increasing mis­ treatment of a group of people have great potential power to influence events. However, whether individuals, groups, or nations, they frequently remain passive. This allows perpetrators to see their destructive actions as acceptable and even right. As a result of their passivity in the face of others’ suffering, bystanders change: They come to accept the persecution and suffering of vic­ tims, and some even join the perpetrators (Staub, 1989a, 1989b, 1999a, 2000). — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 72

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Bystanders sometimes prefer to be hated than dismissed as obstacles — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 1608; Bystanders’ inaction is read as tacit approval by both perpetrator and victim — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3944; Bystander responses determine whether perpetrator groups escalate or are checked — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3945 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Bystanders’ inaction is read as tacit approval by both perpetrator and victim #expands (0.90) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3944
• Bystander responses determine whether perpetrator groups escalate or are checked #expands (0.80) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3945
• Moral disengagement level determines whether bystanders cheer abuse or defend victims #qualifies (0.75) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 283
• Hate harms bystanders beyond its direct targets #complicates (0.75) — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 286