Oh, it has been developing for a long time. Remember those cases in New York where people were raped or killed and witnesses didn't intervene? It happens a lot in investigations of serious crime that witnesses hide to avoid being sucked into the system and inconveniencing themselves.
Like many things it may be more geographic. Some areas of the US are worse than others when it comes to lending a helping hand.
I think that this tends to happen in larger populations, regardless of whether the state is typically conservative or liberal. Anywhere that I have lived, when it was a country situation and not in a city, I have found that almost everyone is ready to help someone out when they see a need for help. In north Idaho, and probably most other northern states, people with a 4-WD truck will stop and try to pull out any vehicle that has slid off the road on the icy streets and highways, or if they can’t do that, they will try to get some kind of help for the stranded motorist. When I was out riding my horse, people always waved when we passed a car or truck, and people say hello to other people and the cashiers in grocery stores. In cities, there is just not that level of caring between people, and more danger of getting hurt from getting involved with strangers, and I think that has a lot to do with this attitude.
The worst place I have ever been was the Seattle area for ignoring people in trouble. They call it the "Seattle Chill" I think. After I broke may back and all the consequences, I was out with my daughter and it was snowing. We came across a woman and two daughters stuck in a ditch. Daughter was going to pass them by, but I persuaded her to try to help. I really couldn't due to my condition at the time, but my daughter got out to try to help and was ignored. Daughter even tried pushing on the stuck car and the three females totally ignored her and refused to even say a word much less thank her for trying to help. After that experience, I realize that trying to come to the aid of the awful people of the Western Washington area is futility as it highest level.
I still think it is largely attributable to political thinking. I remember San Francisco when it was a friendly city. LA was never as friendly, but I don't think most people 30 years ago would stand and watch someone be attacked. Now they would film the attack and post it on YouTube rather than try to help the person being attacked. I also remember Minneapolis in the day when people there would never think of burning a police station....
That doesn't make sense,I can't imagine not accepting help in that kind of situation.I wonder what they were waiting for...totally weird.