***This post discusses school shootings, sexual abuse, and other forms of graphic violence*** What does it mean to be a bystander and why do we become one despite our awareness of its ethical implications? I’m sure you felt helpless watching Back-to-School Essentials. Watching the little girl saying her last goodbyes to her mom through the screen was gut-wrenching, yet you couldn’t look away (Sandy Hook Promise, 2019, 0:40-0:55). Perhaps you shed a tear or two, perhaps the short film haunted you for the rest of the day… …But did you click the donate button distinctly visible at the bottom of the video? Likely not, because of the illusion that they are responsible, not you . The diffusion of responsibility is one of the most prevalent but toxic beliefs that encourages bystanders. In the presence of a large crowd, responsiveness to an emergency feels like a collective responsibility—but the problem begins when we don’t include ourselves in the collective. Our individual actions...