Mob Mentality In The Roar Of The Crowd

Roar of the Crowd On April 27, 2015,There was a protest about the recent death of Freddie Grey who died while in police custody and following other similar incidents all over the country. There was rioting and looting and burning of business buildings in the communities but the police were told to not to use lethal force. However they were outgunned and outnumbered by Baltimore rioters. Only when a curfew was established and National Guard was brought in, was the riot quelled. Potential rioters were told to go home and not come out until 5am. The riots stopped but tension remains. What is in the mind of the rioters? Why did they join in? How can one avoid mob mentality? These are common questions asked about people who participate in rioting. This essay will explore some of the reasons and rationales about mob mentality.

Dr. Wendy James explains that contagion theory states that groups have incredible influence over individuals. The result is the when the crowd loses control so does the individual. As soon as the crowd became destructive, unaffiliated individuals from around the city joined in. She describe the convergence theory that like minded people come together such as the cyber media messages to meet a the mall in Baltimore as a starting point. Emergent norm has aspects of both contagion and convergence where people are like minded, have similar emotions and anonymity. There was anger that the law was not effective and they perceived that no justice was served. These theories were evident in Baltimore on the day of the