TY - UNPB

T1 - Bystander intervention in public violence: A mixed-methods study of patterns and processes

AU - Friis, Camilla Bank

N1 - Master thesis

PY - 2018/4

Y1 - 2018/4

N2 - Objective: Previous research on bystander behavior has primarily focused on single factors explaining whether bystanders intervene or not. In this thesis, I examine the patterns and processes of active bystanders in the different contexts of public violence. I argue that this approach is necessary to broaden the understanding of bystanders and the characteristics of importance to theirpatterns of behavior. Methods: The thesis applies a mixed-methods design to examine bystander behaviors in violent conflicts. The sample comprises 75 police recorded cases of public violence in Copenhagen. The data comprises video footage of naturally occurring violence and the matching police case files. I employ a Latent Class Analysis to explore patterns of bystander behaviors andtheir contextual and situational characteristics. A qualitative case-analysis is used to describe and explain the social and emotional micro-processes of bystander behaviors in the different patterns of violence contexts that the Latent Class Analysis model identifies. Results: The Latent Class Analysis model finds five emergency types of violence with different behavioral, contextual and situational characteristics. The qualitative case-analysis showed the importance of social dynamics of emotions, status and group norms to the way bystanders intervene in violent incidents. Conclusion: The thesis demonstrates how bystander behaviors are performed in different types of violent incidentsand how many different micro-sociological processes are involved here. Research on bystander behavior should provide more attention to the contextual dynamics of social group relations and emotions. Moreover, future research should focus more on action patterns and the agency of bystanders.

AB - Objective: Previous research on bystander behavior has primarily focused on single factors explaining whether bystanders intervene or not. In this thesis, I examine the patterns and processes of active bystanders in the different contexts of public violence. I argue that this approach is necessary to broaden the understanding of bystanders and the characteristics of importance to theirpatterns of behavior. Methods: The thesis applies a mixed-methods design to examine bystander behaviors in violent conflicts. The sample comprises 75 police recorded cases of public violence in Copenhagen. The data comprises video footage of naturally occurring violence and the matching police case files. I employ a Latent Class Analysis to explore patterns of bystander behaviors andtheir contextual and situational characteristics. A qualitative case-analysis is used to describe and explain the social and emotional micro-processes of bystander behaviors in the different patterns of violence contexts that the Latent Class Analysis model identifies. Results: The Latent Class Analysis model finds five emergency types of violence with different behavioral, contextual and situational characteristics. The qualitative case-analysis showed the importance of social dynamics of emotions, status and group norms to the way bystanders intervene in violent incidents. Conclusion: The thesis demonstrates how bystander behaviors are performed in different types of violent incidentsand how many different micro-sociological processes are involved here. Research on bystander behavior should provide more attention to the contextual dynamics of social group relations and emotions. Moreover, future research should focus more on action patterns and the agency of bystanders.

M3 - Working paper

BT - Bystander intervention in public violence: A mixed-methods study of patterns and processes

CY - Københavns Universitet

ER -