Genovese Syndrome

 On March 13,1964 Catherine "Kitty" Genovese was brutally murdered in Queens, NY.  On March 27, 1964 the NY Times published the following article: 
"37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police" Apathy at Stabbing of Queens Woman Shocks Inspector  By Martin Gansberg
Without this article the Kitty Genovese murder would have been known about by only a few.   After this article was published it captivated the nation and had people asking, 'how could this happen?'
As with most things, as time passes original  purported facts are disputed and in this case the dispute is over who saw/heard what, how many  saw/heard and what actions were taken by them.  Indisputable is what arose from this incident.  
The 911 calling system did not exist in 1964, at that time you had to directly call the precinct.  Media attention focusing on people's reluctance to call the police resulted in the NYPD reforming their call in procedure.  Also, Neighborhood Watch was developed in response to this horrific murder.  Research was done in regards to the Bystander Effect or 'Genovese Syndrome' and also into Diffusion Responsibility 
 Bystander Effect = as the number of bystanders increases, the likelihood that one of these bystanders will help decreases
Diffusion Responsibility = phenomenon in which a person is less likely to take responsibility for action or inaction when others are present. 
 You can read more about the Kitty Genovese murder at these links:

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/kitty_genovese/1.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese 

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