Last week, the South African tertiary education student
protested against the proposed fee increases. This week, we saw the marching of
thousands of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supporters to the SA Reserve Bank,
the Chamber of Mines, and the US Consulate in Johannesburg to put through
various demands. Although they have been mainly peaceful, there have been a few
cases of looting and public disruption that has been a cause for concern. The
concern is that protests such as these can very easily turn violent very
quickly. Given our turbulent past, as well as the latest crime statistics,
violence is something that we as South Africans have become very accustomed
too. We shed a bit more light on
group/crowd/mob mentality, as well as what to do when we come across one. The
terms group, crowd and mob will be used interchangeably in this post.
By definition, a group of people is a number of people that
are located, gathered or classed together. A crowd is a large number of people
gathered in a disorganised or unruly manner. A mob is a large crowd of people,
especially one that is disorderly and intent on causing trouble or violence.
Groups can generate a sense of emotional excitement, which
can lead to the provocation of behaviours that a person would not typically
engage in if alone. Think of sporting
events when the crowd cheers for their team, or boo in unison against the opposition.
Many would not do either of these activities on their own; however, because the
greater majority is doing so, they feel it is ok to participate in the
activity.
A study from the University of Leeds found that it takes
only about 5 percent of a crowd to influence the group’s direction, with the
other 95 percent following without even realizing what they are doing. There
are situations when mob mentality can be a good thing, such as in disasters or
other emergencies when large groups of people need to be moved but
communication is difficult. However, by the same mechanism, rioting, looting
and violence can be triggered by a small number of people.
People tend not to loot and act violently alone. Mob
mentality, also known as “de-individualization”, allows people to hide in
anonymity, which is why violence and riots are most likely to happen in large
groups. People tend to not feel responsible when “everyone is doing it.”
De-individualization is also known as a loss of self-awareness.
When people de-individuate, they are less likely to follow normal restraints
and inhibitions and more likely to lose their sense of individual identity.
Three psychological theories address crowd behaviour.
First is Contagion Theory, proposes that crowds exert a
hypnotic influence on their members that results in irrational and emotionally
charged behaviour often referred to as crowd frenzy.
Second is Convergence Theory that argues the behaviour of a
crowd is not an emergent property of the crowd but is a result of like-minded
individuals coming together. If it
becomes violent is not because the crowd encouraged violence yet rather people
wanted it to be violent and came together in a crowd.
Third is Emergent-Norm Theory that combines the two above
arguing that a combination of liked-minded individuals, anonymity and shared
emotions leads to crowd behaviour. Emergent Norm Theory is related to how many
people are involved. It is much more unlikely that someone will get caught if
they are doing something in a crowd of 500 than if there are only two people
doing it.
Todd Fuist, a Western sociology professor, says if there is
no crowd there is no riot. He also says that the reaction of authorities has an
effect on the brutality of the crowd’s actions. Resistance from authorities
causes resistance in return.
Violent crowds, or mobs, have no respect for society or
their victims, however, according to US Forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Michael
Welner, they are selfish enough to be sensitive to shaming themselves or their
loved ones.
There are some group characteristics that increase the
likelihood of violence, such as group size and physical anonymity - First, many people believe they cannot be
held responsible for violent behaviour when part of a mob because they perceive
the violent action as the group’s (e.g., “everyone was doing it”) rather than
their own behaviour. When in a large group, people tend to experience a
diffusion of responsibility. Typically, the bigger a mob, the more its members
lose self-awareness and become willing to engage in dangerous behaviour. Second, physical anonymity also leads to a
person experiencing fewer social inhibitions.
When people feel that their behaviour cannot be traced back to them,
they are more likely to break social norms and engage in violence.
So, what should you do if you come across a mob? Here are 10
mob survival tips that you could consider when faced with one:
1. Remain calm. Mobs bring intense emotions boiling to the
surface, but if you want to survive one you'd be better off keeping your own
emotions in check. Your adrenaline and survival instincts will kick in, but
strive to think rationally and pursue safety methodically.
2. Keep your loved ones close. Sticking together with your
loved ones should be your first priority. The second is finding a way out.
3. Don't get involved. If you're caught in a mob, the last
thing you want to do is try to take sides, help out, or stand out. In fact, you
should stand out as little as possible as you move to the outside of the mob
and away from the action. To do this, stay close to the walls and other
barriers, though avoid bottlenecks, or any areas where a lot of people are
squeezing through a small space.
4. Avoid All Law Enforcement. This seems counter intuitive;
however, the police have no way of knowing whether you’re a threat or someone
who just got caught up in the chaos, so rather avoid them if possible.
5. Move away from the mob as calmly as possible but go with
the flow. If you're on foot, you should move away by going with the flow of
foot traffic, not against it. If you go against the flow, you're much more
likely to stand out, to get stampeded, or just to get pushed or blocked. Think
of the crowd as a large raging river. The best way to get out of a river is to
swim with the current and slowly make your way to the edge. The same is true
when stuck in the middle of a crowd. If you feel that you may fall down in the
big crowd and get trampled, use your elbows to push down on the crowd so that
it carries you. Though you may want to run for your life, you should move
calmly and relatively slowly.
7. Move to a safe enclosed area. Mobs most commonly happen
outside on the streets, not inside buildings. Just by moving inside a sturdy
and controlled building, you can protect yourself from the brunt of a mob.
8. Don't use weapons unnecessarily. If you are armed with a weapon of some sort, think twice
about pulling it out in the middle of a riot. A weapon can cause the mob to
turn on you and overpower you, even if you have a lethal weapon. Only consider
using your weapon if you are being directly attacked or targeted. Use unarmed
self-defence techniques only when required.
If you are in a vehicle, here are some additional
precautions:
9. Avoid heavy-traffic areas. To maximize your chances of
safety, you should avoid the areas that are most likely to be crowded and show
stay off the beaten path so you don't put yourself in a dangerous situation. Even
if the heavy-traffic areas are your quickest path home, they won't be safest
path if they are the targets of any violent mobs.
10. Drive appropriately. Unless your car
is the focus for the angry mob in the riot, you should stay in the car and
continue driving as calmly as possible. Try to keep to the streets that are
clear of mobs, and avoid the main roads that are more likely to be occupied.
Keep moving forward and don't stop to assess the situation. If someone tries to
block your car, honk your car and keep driving until he gets out of the way (of
course, this doesn't mean you should hit the person.) Drive at moderate speed
so they have time to back off and realize that you mean business.
11. Stay informed. Use the social media to alert you as to
where to stay away from, as well as the local radio and news. Messages
informing you of which streets and areas are currently being targeted provide
you with instantaneous warnings of where to avoid.
To conclude, group/crowd/mob mentality is a very powerful
force that many normal, law-abiding citizens have been seduced into doing
things they would not normally do, such as looting, public disruption and
inciting violence. We, as self-defence practitioners, need to not only
safe-guard ourselves against the allure of joining this force, but to also
ensure that we are adequately prepared, should the crowd's discipline deteriorate
and we get caught up in the middle of it.
Till next time, be safe out there.
Get EDUCATED.
Feel EMPOWERED. Live a fully-ENGAGED life.
A special report of the South African 2014/2015 Crime
Statistics is still available to download here: http://infinitydefence.com/freespecialreport-sa-crime-stats-2014-2015b/
Resources:
"Mob Mentality: Why They
Riot":http://guardianlv.com/2014/08/mob-mentality-why-they-riot/
"The Psychology of Mob Mentality and Violence":
http://www.drwendyjames.com/the-psychology-of-mob-mentality-and-violence/
"Examining the Mob Mentality": http://source.southuniversity.edu/examining-the-mob-mentality-31395.aspx
To see some of the
protesting crowds in South Africa for the last 2 weeks:
A student confronts UCT protesters about white privileges:
https://www.facebook.com/IOLnews/videos/10154259705143625/
National protests against student fees begins:
https://youtu.be/8yCC8H4DA-4
EFF March: https://youtu.be/swCYjkGzTdI
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