Human Factors Analysis: Why Crowds Turn Deadly

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Fred Fuller

Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
21,215
Location
AL, NC
http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com...8/book-disaster-utopias-and-elite-panics.html

Back in the bad old days before I was even working for a living, there were these things called 'think tanks.' The concept of human factors and the think tanks that later studied them more extensively mostly grew out efforts in WW2 to improve the interface between man and machine in aviation. As one source puts it, "Human Factors deals with the psychological, social, physical, biological and safety characteristics of a user and the system the user is in." ( http://ergonomics.about.com/od/glossary/g/defhumanfactors.htm ).

My own introduction to the concept of human factors came at the hands of a research study from one of those think tanks I mentioned - SORO, or the Special Operations Research Office of the American University. The study was titled Human Factors Considerations of Undergrounds in Insurgencies*, and getting browbeaten into reading it marked the real beginning of my understanding about what my job was about, what my organization was about, and what the Special Forces soldiers we were training were all about.

So - human factors. What do human factors have to do with crowds and what makes them tick? I found John Robb's quick look at this subject interesting, as usual, and it seems a topic worthy of further exploration. If I find anything useful and directly applicable to our concerns here, I'll add links or further discussion. And if the membership is aware of further material dealing with human factors in crowd behavior that would be useful in discussing the defense of ourselves and our loved ones, please add those resources as well.

The usual ST&T caveats apply of course - please keep discussion on topic, realistic and reasonable.

fwiw,

lpl
====

*http://www.amazon.com/Human-Factors-Considerations-Undergrounds-Insurgencies/dp/0898755409
 
This is quite timely considering what is happening in the UK, especially in London and Manchester. This is also an issue of concern to me as I work in a city that has the potential to be a powder keg for this type of mob behavior.

It seems that if individual senses that the system is unable or unwilling to penalize them for breaking societal mores, an unacceptable behavior suddenly becomes acceptable and even fashionable. The fear or likelihood of getting punished seems to be the pendulum upon which choices are made by individuals within a crowd.
 
Well the writer certainly had an agenda.

It has been my experience, from the LE POV, that crowds turn deadly because they don't have to accept responsibility for their actions. They just do what everyone else is doing...whether it is remaining orderly or destroying things....with the explanation of, "I was caught up in the moment", which is the adult version of, "Everyone else is doing it"

Crowds act out of fear, fear of being different and turning into the target of the rest of the crowd. The leaders act out of fear of not being in control, which when turned outward is expressed as anger. That others would follow their lead, empowers (thought approval) them to strike out more...they are completely self-centered.

That is why you stop a crowd by identifying the leaders and removing them
 
Leadership and group think are major points, because you either target the leaders in hope of breaking the group up (which may or may not help, it could be someone a little crazier, who starts shouting loudest) or you make participating in the group TOO costly to the individuals.

When you are faced with the choice of rioting and dying, or getting away before the bullets fly, most people there just to 'get caught up in the moment' (looters, trouble makers) suddenly find it convenient to leave, those left are most likely the hard core of the mob, for better or worse.
 
It's an excuse, what ever the cause is, most of the people participating, it's an excuse

Why did the Korean shop owners in the LA riots not face a concerted attack
Because white motorist, caught unaware were MUCH easier targets, looting stores to 'stick it to the man' is more profitable than trying to burn down city hall.

address the core, those with a reason, in dialog, as they usually will listen, and run off or control the agitators and trouble makers trying to turn the gathering, so in a way I would say, leave the leaders who are *Calm* in place, show some restraint and respect to the PEACEFUL gathering, and quash any violence as fast as possible. Those there for a riot know that if they can get enough people mad, drunk, etc, one core nucleus, then lie, scream something to scare, startle the rest of the *crowd* they have their riot.

Those are the people who need to be taken out.

The question is how do you identify them?
 
I lived in Boulder Colorado during a riot. I had no idea it happened until the next morning. While walking to work I saw every cop car in the state and a SWAT van driving around.

A few frats had been caught with underage drinkers one too many times and the university had banned alcohol at frat parties. Ironically, the riot started because some students were mad that they weren’t being trusted as responsible adults. Naturally the best way to show how responsible you are is to overturn cars and set fire to couches.

At work I found out one of my coworkers took part in the riot. He wasn’t there when it started and didn’t go the university. One of his friends had called him to let him know what was going on and he and a bunch of friends went down because it sounded like fun.

I called him an idiot. Some of my other coworkers told me to back off. He was young and just having a little fun.

I’d bet the same thing is going on in the UK. There’s a very small percentage that is mad about some issue. It starts with “Down with the Man” then it’s blowing off steam and one-upping each other until the rules have changed and then it’s just about having fun.

That’s why riot police act like they do. Form ranks, take control, and change the mood from fun to fear. A little tear gas likely kills the buzz too.

Not all riots are like this of course. Civil unrest in the middle east is almost certainly not about fun.

That’s my take anyway.
 
What DPotvin, pointed out is that there are distinct classes of participants, what starts out as XXX turn really bad when certain types are calling their friends to 'come join in the fun'
 
What I'd rather we examine is not riot control from the LE or .mil perspective, but how we as individuals cope with social unrest that breaks out around us without our knowing it was coming (none of us would deliberately drive into a riot, correct?). How do we protect ourselves and our families in such a situation?

The standard responses should be pretty obvious. Situational awareness is of course a primary responsibility. Know what you're seeing when you look at an out of control crowd, avoid it if you can, extricate yourself in whatever way is possible. If you know the area - streets, back doors of buildings, etc. - dodging a crowd will be easier.

If you can't avoid the crowd, can you blend, move to the edge and separate yourself from the event? Of course, that wouldn't be possible in certain circumstances, and that could present a real problem.

If that turns out to be the situation you find yourself in, what next? What realistic options do you have if confronted with a large, hostile and potentially or demonstrably violent crowd?

lpl
 
Crowd behavior has more to do with social psychological factors than human factors; things like social cognition (e.g., groupthink). Things like diffusion of responsibility, attribution bias, and lack of punishment for deviant behavior are all at work.

Human factors has more to do with designing equipment or developing procedures for a given task to make up for the limitations of the human operator. It's ergonomics, but also behavioral issues as well. Human factors can apply to crowds, but I think it more readily applies to individuals.

That's my educated opinion. I'm a psychologist and also part of the core faculty for the human factors program at Idaho's only land-grant university. My research focus is surface transportation safety and child safety.

The events unfolding in the UK are interesting. They apparently began with police use of firearms. Now it seems people are mostly taking advantage of the anger and social unrest and using it as an excuse to commit crimes.
 
how we as individuals cope with social unrest that breaks out around us without our knowing it was coming
Click to expand...

I've been caught up in a unsettled situation during New Years eve in Chinatown in the City.

The thing to do is determine the direction of the most shouting (often indicated by the rising clouds of tear gas), gather your party around you (account for everyone and assign partners) and start moving away from the shouting.

1. It doesn't matter if you moving away from your car...you can come back later and it can always be replaced
2. Try to slide around groups/clusters rather than through them
3. Don't lose your footing...immediately grab any member of your party who does
4. It isn't a race, move smoothly so everyone can stay together and not get separated
5. If someone actively blocks you path, put them on the ground as quickly and effectively as you can and move on.
6. Go to the nearest hotel and check into an upper floor room to wait for morning
 
What I'd rather we examine is not riot control from the LE or .mil perspective, but how we as individuals cope with social unrest that breaks out around us without our knowing it was coming (none of us would deliberately drive into a riot, correct?). How do we protect ourselves and our families in such a situation?
Click to expand...
At home, hunker down and protect the perimiter. We have plans to close of the road with felled trees if need arises. Lucky enough to have relatives on both sides.

Hopefully you have enough supplies and water and a generator with enough fuel for a couple of weeks - Have commo, cell, family radio, short wave, I.E. A basic plan for any disaster. Until order is restored.

If not home, get safe and carefully make your way home when possible.
 
I wasn’t trying to discuss LE tactics per se; rather I was trying to explain what I saw as a potential reason for the way a rioting crowd acted and used those tactics as possible evidence to back up that theory.

Assuming what I said was true in some cases, the rioting crown is probably more a danger to property than people. In four days of rioting I believe the UK has had one fatality related to the riot; a gunshot victim.

If the crowd was truly bent on hurting or killing people I would think there would be a lot more deaths and injuries. Not to say such a crowd isn’t dangerous of course. A fire could easily get out of control and trap people. A segment within the crown might decide its “fun” to beat people. Flying debris or random shots pose a threat.

As far as protection goes that depends on the situation. Should you find yourself so unfortunate as to live within the riot zone I could imagine that defending your property might be more dangerous than leaving. That’s a tough choice to make though.

Making for the edge of the riot is probably the best bet. Aside from race riots there’s no way to tell one civilian from another. If you can just not draw attention to yourself you have a chance to make it out of the riot.

Walking around with a gun drawn or attempting to stop the rioters is a bad idea.
 
I have not been in a riot, and the area I live in now doesn't have enough total people living there to organize a good sized poker tournament, much less a flash mob.
If I WAS in a big city with my family, I would have to echo what was said, move quickly, (but with controlled movements, not panicked flight), to some sort of safer area, with my wife and I maintaining control of my son. Weapons would be close to hand.
As for "blending", depends on the crowd - the one in Wisconsin I would have failed miserably at "blending in".
I don't know specifics on what I/we would do until it happens, as location/lighting/weather/etc., can seriously change instant plans.
 
Avoid the inner city and urban areas and you will have little to worry about. Swarms do not happen ir rural areas.
 
I moved to a somewhat rural area to get several miles out of the city limits. No one in this area has less than an acre and most have at least 2 and there are many small ranches. Urban unrest is just one of the reasons I left the city. I still have to work there though.
 
how we as individuals cope with social unrest that breaks out around us without our knowing it was coming (none of us would deliberately drive into a riot, correct?). How do we protect ourselves and our families in such a situation?
Click to expand...

Rioters, just like opportunistic criminals, look for easy targets. While there will be a number of "hardcore" criminal types, the majority will be a bunch of indecisive hesitant schmucks who won't be as willing to mess with a potentially threatening target, DESPITE their numerical advantage. As in pretty much any other situation, if you present yourself to be a hard target, you are less likely to be tested, and stand a better chance of evading.

Riots, and violent crowds, gain and maintain their momentum through non-resistance. As soon as heads start getting busted, however, or sucking chest wounds start to get delivered, the mob mentality starts to break down, and people start thinking as individuals again, and primarily about their individual survival.

This concept applies to the citizen when confronted by a group. Reasoning will more than likely be out of the question, so your best chances of survival would be to immediately apply decisive and overwhelming violence on the leadership of the violent group, which will more than likely discourage the others from continuing their attack, and afford you the opportunity to evade.

A buddy and I had the misfortune of getting caught in the middle of a communist "protest" while overseas. Though we tried to "blend in" with the populace, it was still easy to tell we weren't locals. Most of the commies were of the idiot naive "student" variety, and gave us a wide berth due to the manner in which we carried ourselves. Before we could complete our exfil, however, we encountered a small group of individuals who required a little direct action in order to understand we were not the targets they were looking for, and this action not only stopped the momentum of the group, but was seen by surrounding groups, and afforded us the ability to complete our exfil without further incident.

Evade to the best of your ability, but when you're cornered, hit hard, hit fast, and get out of dodge so you don't have to do it again.
 
Any crowd is dangerous as far as I'm concerned. What starts out as a peaceful, fun gathering (think celebrating your local team finally winning the big one) can turn ugly very quickly....

I've had extensive riot training, both as a young cop, and eventually as a commander. I have been the young sergeant in charge of the riot (thank heavens it was a very small affair) when I was the highest ranking guy (at 3 in the morning there won't be any brass around... they'll show up on the following night if things continue.). On more than one occasion I was able to end a building problem by simply withdrawing all of our vehicles out of rock and bottle range, but staying close enough to discourage things from getting worse. On their home ground young hoods usually cool out if they don't have an active opponent. That's in a residential area, all bets are off in a commercial area where there's goods to be stolen....

As you can guess, I don't like crowds. I will avoid them if possible, and if I'm in a crowd I try to be as aware of my surroundings as possible. Any hint of trouble and I'll do my best to leave as quietly as possible. This isn't the place to be defending anyone other than your immediate family or companions. Add liquor to the mix and everyone's judgment (including yours if you join in) aren't going to be the best. Maybe it's mostly because I'm older now but crowds and noise just turn me off. This whole topic is one where caution is indicated. I wouldn't be within miles of any kind of disturbance unless I was being paid to be there.
 
Mobs and riots have been around for a long time. The reasons for mob behavior and mentality is debated, but the danger they impose is not.

"Riot statutes" in many states hold that in a riot that threatens life and limb, deadly force can be used on ALL members of the riot, including innocents and those guilty of property destruction only. Barbara Rhine argued for the overturning of such statutes in the wake of the Watts riots...but I believe she got nowhere.

Warren on Homicide holds that all members of a mob share the guilt, and share the risk of rightfully used lethal force used against them. In Courvoisier v. Raymond (CO Supreme Ct, 1896), a shop-owner was held not liable for shooting a police officer, because he reasonably perceived the officer to be part of a mob.
 
Last edited:
Why Crowds Turn Deadly

Individuals in a crowd feel anonymous. They act accordingly.
 
This whole topic is one where caution is indicated. I wouldn't be within miles of any kind of disturbance unless I was being paid to be there.
Click to expand...
Yep.
Flee if you can and try to keep a perimeter if you can't flee.
If you're gonna hole up somewhere, make it a place with little or no social value.
I've seen a lot of looting and am always amazed that people with no electricity service almost always go for goods that require power to work. I think a gym might be the best place to wait out a riot, since I've never seen anyone loot barbells and bosu balls.
 
Over many years down here in paradise, I was on the enforcement end of a few serious disturbances (starting with the first annual MacDuffie riot around 1980) and a few others that weren't quite as extensive. One thing is very striking about looting and serious property damage (wholesale arson, etc). The one place it didn't occur was in neighborhoods and commercial districts where property owners stood watch in front of their properties, obviously armed.

I won't comment on whether that's a good idea or not (or whether risking your life for property is worth doing - everyone has to make their own choices in that regard). I can definitely say it was effective every place that wasn't right in the heart of the destruction. In those areas there was loss of life, and utter anarchy -- nothing helped once it was started. Anyone caught in the bad areas had to withdraw or face life threatening stuff....

Where it was effective was in neighborhoods that hadn't had any damage. In that situation it worked almost every time. Even "drive-bys" left areas alone where folks were obviously protecting their properties....
 
Case in point made in this article about the UK riots where 3 men died while trying to hold a perimeter on some retail businesses.
Mr Shakiel said of the victims, “They lost their lives for other people, doing the job of the police.

“They weren't standing outside a mosque, a temple, a synagogue or a church - they were standing outside shops where everybody goes. They were protecting the community as a whole.”
Click to expand...

High value targets like stores and nice homes are a good place to get killed. Standing in the street is a good way to die during stuff like this.
According to witnesses, the car, containing up to three passengers, hit the three men at around 50mph but did not stop.
Click to expand...
They were, apparently, trying to blockade the road and seal off the area from looters.

Bug out, or find an obscure and meaningless place to bug in and let it blow over.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
Human Factors Issues In Firearms Design And Training (worth a read)
Replies
13
Views
978
JJpdxpinkpistols
J
B
  • Locked
Good Article On Human Psychology In Emergency Situations
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
NMshooter
N
K
  • Locked
Recent Gov't study shows gun laws ineffective. Duh.
Replies
23
Views
1K
txgho1911
T
L
  • Locked
interesting abstract of new FBI study
Replies
22
Views
2K
swingset
S
F
  • Locked
Re-thinking Ammo Choices For SD/HD
2
Replies
27
Views
2K
Fred Fuller
F
Back
Top