Crowds, violence and the bystander effect

The Economist has a fascinating article on research by Dr Mark Levine of Lancaster University in the UK.

He analyzes footage from the now famous/notorious CCTV cameras in Britain, and finds that crowds can have an effect on escalating into violence or diffusing it depending on how the first few bystanders respond to the aggressor.

He questions the common wisdom of the bystander effect, and the police's practice of breaking up the crowds, which can have the opposite effect in some cases.

Fascinating ...