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The Parable of the 38 Witnesses is the widely taught but historically inaccurate story of Kitty Genovese, a New York woman whose murder was supposedly watched by 38 bystanders who did nothing to intervene. While this standard narrative inspired foundational research on the bystander effect, scholars note it is misleading, as fewer witnesses existed and some did attempt to help; focusing solely on this parable may obscure other important conditions for collective emergency response.

The Parable of the 38 Witnesses

The widely taught textbook account of Kitty Genovese's 1964 murder states that 38 witnesses watched the attack and none of them attempted to help, but later scholarship revealed this standard narrative to be historically inaccurate.

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