Year: 1981 Source: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, v.41, no.4, (1981), p.703-709 SIEC No: 19840631

This study examines 21 cases in which crowds were present when a person threatened to jump off a building, etc. Baiting occurred in 10 of the cases. Analysis of newspaper accounts of the episodes indicates that baiting may be associated with large crowds, the cover of night-time and a greater degree of physical separation between crowd and victim (all factors associated with anonymity). (WL)