Mob violence is violence which occurs during a mob (a crowd that is out of control or waiting for a trigger to set them off. During a mob the individual becomes deindividualized, and a collective mind occurs. Examples of mob violence includes:
Individuals who trample others during Black Friday sales. Individuals refuse to take accountability for such an action because the entire group was performing the action, and while they were within the mob they justified their actions, and were not acting as individuals.
The behavior of several white individuals when desegregation of schools first occurred. When black students first came to white schools they had items thrown at them, several individuals pushed them, threw water at them, and called them racial slurs. The crowd of individuals turned into a mob which was triggered by the desegregation of the schools and the arrival of the new black students. Individuals did not take responsibility for their actions because they were acting as a mob not as an individual. This is an example of an expressive mob.
Mob violence occurs because of the individuals within the mob may enjoy the novelty, release, stimulation, or power the mob allows them. Individuals also are apt to perform violence within mobs because they may justify the behavior, be overly suggestible to the collective mind of the mob, conform to the mob, or simply lose their individuality in the mob.
2. Example of Mob Violence in the Media from South Carolina
In October 2012, 8-10 Black individuals (unidentified) punched and stomped on Josh Bowsworth (a white male with an unpublished age) even when he loss consciousness in the Five Points area of South Carolina. 3 individuals have been arrested, the others are still at large. The arrested individuals are all students at Benedict College (a predominantly black institution). Bowsworth sustained bruises and a broken jaw, but is stable. No convictions have occurred. Bowsworth attack was just one of three violent incidents which occurred in Five Points, SC that night. Underage drinking and drug use may play a role in the attacks.
The author of the article seems to blame black individuals for harassing white ones in the Five Points area. The police chief is quoted as stating that the crimes are not racially motivated (although all crimes occurred with black offenders and white victims) and blames the crimes on underage drinking and drug use. The police chief believes the attacks to just be bar fights which had gone too far. The author goes on to quote the bar owner and various white students in the area who believe that the police chief is deliberately ignoring the racial aspect of the crimes and describe their interactions with the “black thugs” (all of the statements explain negative interactions). They believe the area to be more dangerous than ever, and several students have started a petition to get police to blame the offenders, not the victims. They believe that if the races were swapped the situation would be taken much more seriously. The author portrays the white individuals as victims and the black individuals as offenders.
Article may be found at: http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/black-mob-violence-blamed-on-white-kids-drinking/
Mob violence can be on Law and Order:SVU Season 11 Episode 13 “P.C.”
In this episode a LGBTQIA group has made a mob in an area of New York. They are complaining about the treatment of the NYPD to their community. They throw several items at the police men (and scream profanities at them) until detectives come onto the scene. The throwing and screaming of profanities showcases mob violence. The episode may be found on Netflix at https://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Law_Order_Special_Victims_Unit/70140403?locale=en-US
Mob violence can also be seen in White Girl Bleed a Lot": The return of racial violence and how the media ignore it. This book describes several situations of mob violence which has occurred from Black individuals to White ones in over 75 U.S. cities. The book may be purchased on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/White-Girl-Bleed-Lot-Edition/dp/1479299022/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349197147&sr=8-1&keywords=colin+flaherty
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