The BYSTANDER effect is exactly what it’s called- people who are there DURING the attack or parts of it, and who do nothing, either out of apathy, not knowing how to respond, thinking someone else will take care of it, or being scared for their own safety (etc I’m not listing them all off). It’s specifically about ordinary people- again, those who do not have any kind of first aid or emergency training- freezing.

Also, 9-1-1 didn’t exist when Kitty was murdered. The bystanders would have needed to find a local precinct phone number or get through to an operator- it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as quick to do as today. Moreover, the claim that 37/38 people saw everything and chose to do nothing is also a fabrication by the media, as you pointed out. The reality was that some people heard things and didn’t know what it was, and yes, others likely ignored it. But a neighbour came out and held Kitty. Someone did call the police. And later it came out that most people were ear-witnesses and had seen nothing and thought it was a drunken fight. The point of the bystander effect is that it’s not (usually) coming from malice- it’s not people standing around with their thumbs up their asses and laughing as someone is killed, it’s ignorance. It’s people not knowing what to do, thinking someone else is more equipped, figuring someone else is going to take care of calling help, whatever. It’s rarely “fuck this person I ain’t helping them.”

To be clear, I fucking hate the bystander effect. I think it makes people look like fucking cowards. So I’m not saying this to let everyone off the hook- because for sure, there are people out there who are malicious about not helping. They’re just not typically the majority.

Also, if you want to combat this within yourself, take a first aid course. Or if you find yourself thinking, “someone else will probably help,” maybe follow it up with, “why shouldn’t it be me?”

I also dunno how, if cops had even been there at the moment she was being killed, they would have known Kitty was queer, and how that could have possibly factored into the non-existent decision. Her being queer DID affect the subsequent investigation and the cops deserve every bit of criticism for it.