How do we react in a crisis? Is it 'every
man for himself', or do we take care of others?
Understanding more about crowd behaviour in
emergencies can help us shape effective strategies
for crowd safety management.
My name is John Drury. I am part of a research
team exploring how and why survivors cooperate
or compete in mass evacuations, and the extent
to which we develop shared identity with strangers
in these extreme circumstances.
Our research included interviews with survivors
of different emergency events; a case study
of the July 7th 2005 London bombings; and
a series of virtual reality laboratory experiments
with a specially constructed computer visualization
of a fire on an underground station.
The London bombings study and the interviews with other survivors suggested that mutual
support was common amongst people in emergencies and disasters. Emergencies can create a sense
of common fate which is the basis of a new shared identity amongst those affected.
They see themselves as part of an extended self instead of just as individuals.
All three studies suggested that this shared social identity is the basis of cooperative
behaviour, as people are more motivated to care
for people who they no longer think of as 'other'.
This research was the basis of a new way of
thinking about crowds, as capable of
resilient behaviour in emergencies.
Our research showed that crowds
have the psychological capacity to help themselves
in emergencies, often without expert intervention.
This meant that the management of crowds in
an emergency needed to focus on creating a
shared identity, empowering people through
inclusion and communication.
Our research has influenced the Civil Contingencies
Secretariat who plan for emergencies in the UK,
as well as 700 specialists in Local Resilience
Forums, including local authorities,
fire service and health service.
I first met John back in 2011, and since then
his work has impacted on what we do quite
significantly, in particular where we look
at the ways of evacuating people. And some
of John's thoughts on giving people information
rather than holding it back from them
we believe creates a lot safer environment for people
visiting sporting events, concerts, arenas
all around the world. So we look at what information
we can give to the customers now, and certainly
if I was told to evacuate I’d want to know
why. I wouldn’t be going anywhere if someone
just told me "you've got to get out".
Our research has influenced the thinking and
practice of over 200 policymakers across the
UK government, who have used our findings
to inform local preparations for dealing with
emergencies. The research is used in official
guidance on psychosocial care for people in
emergencies, applying our model of collective
resilience to build on survivors' psychosocial
capacities rather than assuming them to be
ill or helpless.
Our research has also been used in training
programmes for around 2,000 event safety stewards,
many of them working for Old Trafford and
for AP Security at Wembley.
Hundreds of thousands of people have attended matches at these venues and have been kept safe.
