Bystander passivity compounds through self-justification and victim devaluation.

Evidence

In the face of the increasing suffering of a subgroup of society, bystanders frequently remain silent, passive—both internal bystanders and external ones, other nations and outside groups (Staub, 1989a, 1999a). Bystanders also learn and change as a result of their own action—or inaction. Passivity in the face of others’ suffering makes it difficult to remain in internal opposi­ tion to the perpetrators and to feel empathy for the victims. To reduce their own feelings of empathic distress and guilt, passive bystanders will distance themselves from victims (Staub, 1978). Just-world thinking will lead them to see victims as deserving their fate, and to devalue them. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 138

Categorization

• XREF: Directly extends the just-world and moral-disengagement literature; connects to earlier notes on how passivity hardens into complicity. — connects to: Bystander passivity both legitimizes perpetrators and transforms the bystanders themselves — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 72; Moral disengagement level and self-efficacy jointly determine whether bystanders tolerate or resist abuse — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 283; Moral disengagement level determines whether bystanders cheer abuse or defend victims — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 283 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Blame shifting and victim disparagement routinely override moral principle in institutional self-defense #expands (0.85) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 508
• Bystander passivity both legitimizes perpetrators and transforms the bystanders themselves #expands (0.82) — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 72
• Moral inhibition is neutralized by making victims remote and invisible #expands (0.80) — Zygmunt Bauman, Modernity and the Holocaust, 550
• Bystanders’ inaction is read as tacit approval by both perpetrator and victim #expands (0.78) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3944
• Perceived outgroup power plus malice lets mass murder self-justify as self-defense #exemplifies (0.76) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1587
• Moral disengagement level and self-efficacy jointly determine whether bystanders tolerate or resist abuse #qualifies (0.75) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 283
• Self-reflective metacognition is where people distance themselves from wrongdoing #expands (0.75) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 74
• Moral disengagement level determines whether bystanders cheer abuse or defend victims #qualifies (0.74) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 283