In recent years, much public discussion in Singapore around sexual misconduct has rightly been on helping survivors and raising awareness on the effects of trauma, as well as reviewing the sanctions meted out to perpetrators. Social services such as the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) however state that this is not enough and have called for more changes ‘upstream’, particularly to intervene before the act of sexual misconduct can be completed or even carried out.

The bystander effect is a phenomenon where people are less likely to intervene in a situation when other bystanders are present. While the latest World Giving Index reports that about 6 in 10 Singapore residents would help a stranger, intervening still remains “a complex decision-making process” according to some observers, citing a combination of factors for why this is so. One reason has to do with the culture of ‘minding our own business’ especially in relationship and domestic contexts where these are seen as ‘private’ matters. Bystanders are therefore reliant on more direct cues from the victim-survivor on when and if they should act, even though victim-survivors are often unable to do so for a variety of reasons.

Join our panel of expert discussants as we explore the bystander effect and the role bystanders can play in addressing sexual misconduct, as well as think about how we can overcome this dilemma.