Psychology of genocide

Bystanders have also been regarded as semi-active, as many freely accept the benefits of being a member of the in-group while actively avoiding the victims,[1] such as companies firing Jewish employees.

According to Zilmer and Harrower, bystanders are characterised as ambient, which is defined as individuals who lack sufficient emotional development and must rely on others for guidance.

The same study found that a critical justification for limited emotional development is a failing attachment to a primary caregiver, who becomes instrumental in foreshadowing their apathetic behaviour.

[8] In McFarland-Icke's study of nurses in Nazi Germany, she concluded that the lack of resistance to perpetrators results from the bystanders' inability to engage in higher-order processes such as deductive reasoning and logic.

[2] Rescuers are individuals who actively pursue helping genocide victims survive by providing shelter, protection, or a means of escape.

[10] Historian Christopher Browning discovered that an estimated 10-20% of Nazi soldiers evaded killing Jews due to their empathy and belief in individual choice.