Bystander Action Beyond Intervention: Video-Observing the Bystander Behavior of Men and Women in Real-Life Public Conflicts

Abstract

Previous research suggests that bystanders of conflicts use a range of intervention strategies. Yet, much less is known about other actions—beyond intervention—that bystanders might engage in during conflicts. Further, while prior studies reveal that gender differences emerge in bystander behavior, few studies have assessed the ecological validity of such potential differences in bystander actions during real-life conflicts. Addressing this concern, we systematically observed the diverse bystander behaviors of individuals presenting as men and women in real-life public conflicts captured on CCTV. We observed 67 public conflicts in the inner city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Using a qualitative approach, we first identified the broad spectrum of actions that bystanders engaged in. We then ran linear probability models to examine the relationship between bystander’s gender presentation and bystanders’ engagement in seven bystander actions (N = 1,959), followed by a multimodel analysis to test the robustness of these findings. Results indicate that bystanders engaged in a diversity of actions, ranging from inattentive (i.e., glancing while moving) and reactive actions (e.g., laughing) to physical forms of intervention. Unexpectedly, women were not more likely to engage in affiliative forms of intervention (e.g., calming hand gestures, non-forceful touching, and practical help). In addition to physical intervention, men were more likely to react to conflicts by laughing, filming, or cheering. The only type of action that was more typical among women than men was inattention (i.e., glancing while moving). Our results show that bystander behavior in public space is carried out in gendered ways, albeit in a less clear-cut manner than expected.