CommonLit | The Kitty Genovese Murder: What Really Happened?

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The Kitty Genovese Murder: What Really

Happened?

By Jessica McBirney 2017

Catherine Susan "Kitty" Genovese's murder on March 13, 1964, caught the world's attention and specifically the attention of many psychologists. It was reported that 37 bystanders heard the commotion and failed to act. The incident led to several social experiments that explored what is now called the bystander effect. This informational text explores the murder that sparked these experiments, as well as how people respond when they witness an incident that may require their help. As you read, take note of how the bystanders to Kitty Genovese's murder are originally portrayed.

[1] All murders are tragic, but it is rare that a murder gains attention from the American public and psychologists around the world. The 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in New York City got people everywhere thinking about human nature and what we should do in times of crisis.

The Crime

Kitty Genovese, an independent and fun-loving

28-year-old woman, drove home from her job at

a New York City bar late one night in March, 1964. It was around 3 a.m., and Kitty did not notice the

"Terminally Invisible" by Kat Northern Lights Man is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

man following behind her car. She pulled into her

apartment complex and parked in a spot about a hundred feet from her apartment.

When she got out of her car, the man who had been following her, Winston Moseley, approached her with his hunting knife in his hand. Genovese began screaming and tried to run in the opposite direction, but Moseley caught up with her and stabbed her twice in the back. She managed to drag herself away from the scene, and Moseley sped away in his car.

Not too long after, Moseley returned to the apartment complex, where he found Genovese lying in a doorway. He stole $49 from her purse and stabbed her several more times before leaving again. A neighbor ran outside to find Genovese still alive, and she sat with her until an ambulance arrived. Sadly, Genovese died en route to the hospital.

[5] Moseley was apprehended1 by the police six days after the attack, which he admitted to, saying he had been looking for an easy victim who wouldn't fight back. He also admitted to several previous rapes and "30 or 40 burglaries." A jury sentenced him to serve life in prison. He died in early 2016, the longest-serving inmate in the New York prison system.

1. to arrest someone for a crime

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Oblivious Bystanders

The Genovese murder became famous not because of the horrific nature of the crime, but because of the unbelievable stories about the other people in the apartment complex that night. What were they doing? Did Genovese's screaming not concern them even a little bit?

The New York Times picked up the story, printing a shocking headline that "37 bystanders" continued about their business as a young woman was stabbed to death right outside their windows. In interviews the other apartment residents explained how they assumed the attack was just a drunken brawl2 outside, or a spat between spouses ? nothing of importance. One was famously quoted in the article: "I didn't want to get involved."

The story garnered3 national attention; readers were horrified at the utter complacency of these bystanders. Many took the incident as a symbol of the cold anonymity of life in a big city.

Psychologists John Darley and Bibb Latan? heard Genovese's story and used it as inspiration for a series of experiments on what they named the "bystander effect." In the experiments, they placed a test subject in a large crowd and staged an emergency situation (like a mugging or a someone fainting). In the presence of many others, participants were half as likely to jump in and help than if they were alone. The study is now one of the most famous and most replicable4 experiments in the field of psychology. ABC, a television network, even created a reality show based on the bystander effect, entitled What Would You Do?

"The 37" Redeemed

[10] It was very surprising, then, when in 2007 a new study came out debunking5 the "37 bystanders" headline. It concluded that not very many people witnessed the attacks on Genovese, and those who did actually did do something to help. Because of the layout of the apartment complex, the crime was difficult for any neighbors to see. One person had witnessed part of the first attack and called the police, assuming it was a loud fight between a husband and wife. When he saw Genovese staggering away, he assumed everything was okay and did not investigate further. A few more neighbors took action during the second attack, including the woman who ran to sit with the dying Genovese and another neighbor who called the ambulance.

Some, including Genovese's brother, who made a documentary out of his investigation into the real story of his sister's murder, are resentful6 of the false portrayal of the witnesses. Not only did it do a disservice to those who did come to Kitty's aid, it also gave America a false impression of uncaring city life. Some scientists also argue that the existence of "the bystander effect" allows people to justify their own inaction in times of crisis.

A. M. Rosenthal, editor of the New York Times when the article first ran, chooses to put the faulty reporting in a larger context: "I can't swear... there were 37 people... What was true: people all over the world were affected by it. Did it do anything? You bet your eye it did something. And I'm glad it did."

2. Brawl (noun): a rough or noisy fight 3. Garner (verb): to gather or collect something 4. can be repeated by other scientists to obtain the same results 5. Debunk (verb): to expose the falseness of an idea or belief 6. Resentful (adjective): feeling or expressing bitterness at having been treated unfairly

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"The Kitty Genovese Murder: What Really Happened?" by Jessica McBirney. Copyright ? 2017 by CommonLit, Inc. This text is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

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Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which of the following identifies the central idea of the text?

[RI.2]

A. The uncaring attitudes of 37 bystanders proved that people are less likely to take action if they do not know the victim.

B. After it was proved that the 37 bystanders did not in fact ignore Kitty Genovese, the results of similar experiments were found invalid.

C. Though the 37 bystanders claimed to have heard and helped Kitty Genovese, this has never been proven.

D. Despite the incorrect report that 37 bystanders ignored Kitty Genovese as she was attacked, the incident led to valuable psychological studies.

2. PART B: Which section from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

[RI.1]

A. "The New York Times picked up the story, printing a shocking headline that `37 bystanders' continued about their business as a young woman was stabbed to death right outside their windows." (Paragraph 7)

B. "In the presence of many others, participants were half as likely to jump in and help than if they were alone. The study is now one of the most famous and most replicable experiments in the field of psychology." (Paragraph 9)

C. "When he saw Genovese staggering away, he assumed everything was okay and did not investigate further." (Paragraph 10)

D. "Some, including Genovese's brother, who made a documentary out of his investigation into the real story of his sister's murder, are resentful of the false portrayal of the witnesses." (Paragraph 11)

3. PART A: What is the meaning of "complacency" in paragraph 8?

A. blissful unawareness B. extreme cruelty C. lack of intelligence D. lack of compassion

[RI.4]

4. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

[RI.1]

A. "...`37 bystanders' continued about their business as a young woman was stabbed to death..." (Paragraph 7)

B. "...the attack was just a drunken brawl outside, or a spat between spouses..." (Paragraph 7)

C. "One was famously quoted in the article: `I didn't want to get involved.'" (Paragraph 7)

D. "...the cold anonymity of life in a big city." (Paragraph 8)

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5. How does the portrayal of the bystanders to Kitty Genovese's murder compare to the [RI.3] reality of the situation?

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Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. Have you ever experienced an instance when people failed to act while witnessing a crime or wrongdoing? Why do you think they acted this way?

2. In the context of the article, what can we learn from tragedy? How did Kitty Genovese's murder shed light on human nature in the event of conflict? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

3. In the context of the article, how do we know what is right? How did bystanders who failed to act justify their actions? Did they truly believe their failure to respond to a potentially violent situation was the right thing to do? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

4. In the context of the article, why do people follow the crowd? In your opinion, why are people less likely to act during a conflict when there are others around them? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.

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