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Nearly every week we see the highlighting of professional failure. The consistency is that of professionals failing to alert one another and other agencies, to concerns they have affecting an individual, that falls within their support role. Often the alert process is not one of engagement but negating their own responsibilities to other professionals, ignoring that they might be the solution.  A 'magic-round-about' effect of problem resolve is throttled with buck passing, as individuals are somewhat  rotated and  'boinged' around from one agency to another and given weak or no effective support. The mantra of 'agencies working together' is not happening and shows the greatest failing of professional cohesion. It becomes lamentable when failings are identified, with agency after agency giving a (well rehearsed) seemingly 'statutory statement' after a shocking and traumatic event, identifying that "lessons will be learned". The lessons never seem to be learned and their statement becomes confined to history, as a momentary political appeasement and deflection.

In social psychology, pluralistic ignorance is a situation in which a majority of a group (or society) privately reject a 'norm', but incorrectly assume that most others accept it, and therefore find themselves going along with it. This is also described as "no one believes, but everyone thinks that everyone believes." 

This could explain the bystander effect. People are more likely to intervene in an emergency situation when alone than when other persons are near. If there are others near, it can result in no one taking action, even though some people privately think that they should do something. On the other hand, if one person decides to help, others are more likely to follow and give assistance.

This has certainly happened with the 'falsely accused' as professionals adopt the approach of pluralistic ignorance, assuming that an individual must be receiving support from another professional. This happens because most professionals would rather set themselves aside and not get involved. The truth is that everyone assumes that other professionals will give support, but the reality is that no one provides support. This leaves the individual unsupported and dispossessed by professionals and ultimately most of society.

In Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes" there is a highlighting of pluralistic ignorance. In this story a whole town fears speaking out on an obvious injustice, much out of the fear that they would stand out believing nobody else could see what they saw. When two con artists come in to the Emperor's kingdom and convince him that they make the finest clothes in all of the land that can only be seen by anyone who was not stupid. The con artists continued to steal gold, silk and other precious items for their "unique creation". From the fear of being seen as stupid, all of the emperor's men and towns people kept their mouths shut about the fact they could not see the outfit and the emperor was prancing around seemingly naked, until finally a small child comes forth and says that the emperor is walking around naked. They believe that if an innocent child can see it, then they must all see it, and finally come forward and admit that the emperor has been tricked and that there was never an outfit being made.

In modern times, the "nothing to do with me, gov" has allowed race relations to flounder, an antipathy towards political masters and those with wealth, diluted support of the police and a lack of true discussion or intervention in communities, even by charities, where serious criminality exists (especially sexual and violent deviancy). This was much the Doncaster and Rochdale model of local authorities, medical staff and chidrens charities intervention not wanting to 'rock the boat' and confront the situation to do with the monsterous goings on, amongst a signficant number of predatory males. With many, in influential positions, preferring to ignore what was happening or 'sweep it under the mat'.