OPINION: Statistics give us enough information to be shocked but not enough to act

Do you know who Kitty Genovese was?

Kitty Genovese was raped and murdered in 1964 in Queens in two separate attacks while coming home from work.

Her attack was said to be random, and her murderer Winston Moseley died in prison in 2016.

At the time, the New York Times reported that 38 people witnessed her murder but did not act.

Since then, investigations have found that a lot fewer people witnessed the murder than the media reported, and the police were called.

However, in the aftermath, psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley wanted to know how so many people could witness something awful and not intervene.

Their theory, "the bystander effect," is today a staple of psychology courses worldwide.

The bystander effect suggests that the more people witness a crime, the less likely they will act.

While commentators have suggested this was the consequence of an apathetic society, the truth is complex.

Some people feel less responsibility to act while others simply may not know what to do.

Since the start of the pandemic, Ireland has had a sort of crash course in misogyny and culture.

In the wake of recent events in Ireland, we have learned so many statistics.

Two hundred forty-four women have been killed in Ireland since 1996.

Over 3,000 domestic violence 999 calls were ignored during the pandemic.

One in five young women in Ireland has experienced intimate relationship abuse.

These statistics and others represent just a fraction of the experiences of women nationwide.

They don't include catcalling or how many women are harassed at bus stops or followed.

They don't capture the almosts. Because sometimes our safety depends on whether the man following us gets bored and walks away first.

The bystander effect tells us that the more of us witness a crime, the less likely we are to act.

The problem with statistics is that they give us enough information to feel shocked or outraged but not enough to do something about it.

Our government and judicial system are responsible for preventing gender-based violence, but so are you and I.

Gender-based violence doesn't just happen in reports or on the news, nor does it only happen on the streets or in dark alleys.

If statistics tell us anything it is that gender-based violence is not random.

Ordinary people commit it in homes just like yours, not monsters in secret lairs.

It is backed by a culture of misogyny that happens at kitchen tables and in WhatsApp groups.

It happens when you say, "why didn't she report it," "why didn't she just leave," or "it was just a joke."

It happens when you don't say anything at all.

So, let's retire the phrase "not all men" and replace it with "how can I help?"

If you see or hear something, say something.

When someone tells you their story, listen.

The government will publish the next national strategy on gender-based and domestic violence in the next few months.

Read it and make sure you know how your leaders plan to address the issue.

Finally, learn how gender-based violence is intertwined with racism, homophobia and classism.

Statistics can make us feel like the problem is too big for us, but it isn't.

Misogyny is a pandemic, and we need to get the basic protective measures right before the numbers will go down.

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