Description of Case
Monster is a nonfiction autobiography of Kody Dejohn Scott, an American author and former gang member. The book is based on first-person narration, written by Kody Scott himself (Shakur, 1994). Kody’s popular nicknames include Sanyinka Shakur, Monster Kody, and Moniker Monster. In the book, Kody Scott narrates how he was influenced into gang life, his experiences as one of the popular gangsters in society and prison, and his reformation. Kody was a member of a Los Angeles crip gang known as Eight tray gangster crips. He was nicknamed monster after beating up a robbery victim until he was disfigured. The story’s setting takes place in South-Central Los Angeles. Throughout the book, Kody exposes a dark and violent neighbourhood of South-Central Los Angeles where individuals compete for limited resources and power.
Kody was raised by a single mother with no reliable income source. He was swayed by the stereotype that gang members are famous and live better life compared to others. Kody was 15 years when he first committed a serious crime (Shakur, 1994). He was presented before the court and accused of robbery with violence. However, he was sentenced to nine months in a camp after he provided false evidence to show that he was not involved in the crime. A few months after he was released from the camp, Kody was directly involved in a violent performance where one person was killed. His continued involvement in violence across Loss Angeles saw his name change from Kody Scott to Monster Kody. Analysis of relevant sociological theories and existing literature is a step towards developing a violent intervention model that would have been used to prevent Scott’s violent outcomes.
Application of Athens’ theory
Lonnie Athens developed a theory to help understand why crime perpetrators become aggressive and inhuman. Athens’ theory of Violentization is based on the analysis of research findings from 58 inmates from different penal institutions in the United States (Ross, 2019). According to the research findings, half of the inmates were serving life imprisonment for aggravated assault and rape, while others were convicted of homicide. The analysis of these research findings indicated that the break out of dominative encounters during social acts results in violence. Athens used the analysis of the research findings to develop a violentiozation theory. The theory breaks down the process of violentization into four stages. Ross (2019) describes violentization as the development of crime perpetrators. The four stages undergone by violent perpetrators include brutalization, virulency, violent performances, and belligerency. The four stages of crime perpetrators’ development can be used to analyze Kody Scott’s gang life.
Brutalization stage
Brutalization is the first stage in the development of violent perpetrators. At this stage, one of the gang leaders forces the subject into subjunction. The gang leader uses threats of violence or violence to compel the subject to be submissive by showing him obedience and respect. Kody Scott’s personality was transformed at the brutalization stage. The brutalization stage comprises three elements, including violent subjugation, personal horrification, and violent coaching. Before violent coaching, the gang members must use violence to ensure the subject is submissive (Ross, 2019).
Similarly, Kody was required to comply with orders from an authority figure in the gang or face violence. Punishment involves verbal or physical force, including violence. The punishment is aimed at attaining submission. According to the book, Kody was initiated into the Eight Tray Gangster Crips on the evening of 15th June 1975. He recounts how gang members beat him up to attain submission and see if he was brave enough to defend himself.
Athens reveals that the subject is subjected to increased violence to achieve long-term submission or respect. The other process under brutalization is personal horrification. Personal horrification involves behaviour change after mental distress and disconnection from normal life. As the subject faces intense violence to attain submission, they become disconnected from close members. The conflict between submission and connection with close family members makes the subject hopeless. In the book, Kody reveals that it was through personal horrification that he started using phencyclidine, an illegal street drug that acts as a stimulant, a hallucinogen, and a depressant at the same time.
The next step is violent coaching. Violent coaching is the process of training the novice on how to act or not act in conflictive situations. The role of violent coaching is played by experienced members of the gang who are familiar with all the tactics used by the gang to cause violence. During coaching, the instructor emphasizes the risks associated with ignoring or running away from the protagonist. The subject is also trained to be aggressive, dominant and self-reliant. After he was initiated by being beaten up to confirm if he was strong enough to be a gangster, the gang leaders started coaching him. The gang members emphasized the need to be self-reliant. The gang members insisted that it was his responsibility to himself. Athens reveals that the means of coaching new gang members vary, and two strategies may be employed simultaneously. The main methods of coaching include “vainglorofication,” ridicule, and coercion. Vanglorification involves glorifying crime through stories and real-life experiences. In this case, the subject is influenced into violence through the perceived benefits narrated by gang members. Kody reveals that his mother was so concerned with her job to support the family and would pay less attention to Kody’s peers. At ten years, Kody started hanging out on the streets of South-Central Los Angeles. During this period, Kody started interacting with Stanley Tookie, a former gangster and leader of the West Side Crips gang. Kody would often hang out with Stanley’s friends, who kept glorifying crime and drug abuse.
On the other hand, ridicule is a strategic approach used by gang members to promote crime by derision and belittling. The other method is coercion. Coercion involves training through fear. The gang members instil fear and threaten new members who are reluctant to learn self-defence and violence tactics. Similarly, Kody was expected to comply with the terms of the Eight tray gangster crips after joining the gang. For this reason, he was subjected to violent and harsh punishments for failing to comply. He was exposed to a violent climate that significantly shaped his personality. As soon as the gang members realized Kody was submissive, they started coaching him on self-defence.
Belligerency Stage
The belligerency stage involves four phases. In the first phase, the subject is desperate to end the violent treatment they are subjected to. As a result, the subject resorts to violence to stop the violent subjunction (Ross, 2019). The next phase is an emotionally-laden step. This is the most critical step, as he is required to convert his mental resolution into actions. The phase ends with the subject deciding to only cause violence when provoked. However, as the violent subjunction continues, the subject adopts the language of violence and becomes passively obedient to his coaches. Kody, raised by a poor single mother, suffered from inadequate parental support. Also, he had witnessed various violent activities in their neighbourhood since childhood. Inadequate parental support, experiencing various crime scenes, and increased stereotypes are among the main factors that influenced him to choose violence to stop the violent subjunction.
Violent Performances
Violent performances follow the belligerency stage. At this stage, the subject builds confidence in his violent performance. He is driven by the belief that his responsibility is to defend himself. However, Athens reveals that actual violence is dehumanizing and frightening. For this reason, it takes more than a revolution to become violent. The outcome of the initial violent performance is uncertain since the perpetrator is unsure of his abilities and connection to his conscience. Unlike gang members whose frequent involvement in crime has disconnected their personality from social norms and humanity, the subject is unsure of their ability to achieve specific objectives by inflicting harm (Ross, 2019). Still, the subject does not fully commit the crime as he understands the consequences of the violent performance. The violent performance stage has four steps, including the top level of provocation for initial performances, the violent personal revolt, publication of the violent performance, and reputation. Scott experienced provocation for his initial performances and violent personal revolve before becoming famous. In the book, Scott mentions that his coaches made him believe that fame and power would help improve their livelihoods. However, he was desperate for fame regardless of its impact on the surrounding. As a result, he gained the reputation of a dangerous gangster and was labelled monster Kody.
Virulency
This stage begins with the subject realizing the perceived benefits of being famous. The subject becomes desperate for fame. Eventually, they decide to utilize the acquired violent skills to gain fame. At this point, Kody Scott became impressed with his famous performance and his skills, confidence, and knowledge of self-defence. The virulency stage has three development phases. The first phase is vainglorification. In this phase, the subject analyzes his abilities in relation to his initial performance. As a result, he realizes that he has the potential to perform more impressive violent acts. The desire to perform intense violent acts is driven by reputation. The subject believes that he is invincible and should perform more intense violent performances to become more famous. After making a violent resolution and becoming obedient to the Eight Tray Gangster Crips members, Kody and a few members of the gang hijacked a stolen car and opened fire on the thugs, who were also armed. Kody was required to fire all eight rounds in his 12-gauge shotgun before returning to the car. After the violence, Kody realized that he had the potential to perform more impressive violent acts. The next phase is making a violent resolution. After several violent performances, Kody was labelled dangerous and one of the most wanted gangsters in Los Angeles. He adopted the dangerous label given to him by society. Kody developed a feeling that the world was against him and should only trust his gang members. As a result, he confidently resolved to attack people and gravely harm or kill them to achieve their goals.
One of his main goals is to become more famous by confirming the stereotype that he is dangerous. According to Athens, an individual who has completed the stages of violentization becomes a dangerous criminal regardless of his race, age, intelligence, sex, race, and social class. The four stages a crime perpetrator undergoes to become more aggressive align with Kody’s description of how he was drawn into gang life. Kody’s exposure to crime at a young age saw him join the eight-tray gangster crips, where he experienced the four stages of violentization. As a result, Kody became more violent and popular.
Application of the Conflict Theory
Karl Marx developed the conflict theory. The theory describes how competition for limited resources causes a state of perpetual conflict in society. The conflict theory states that deviant behaviour develops as a result of resource inequality among social and political groups (Khan et al., 2021). These groups are based on class, race, religion, or gender. In this case, these sociopolitical groups are shaped by the conflict of interest. For instance, each group perceives its interests as a priority. Also, members of each group believe that social privileges are a zero-sum game where gains for members of other groups mean losses to their groups. As a result, those on the losing end resort to deviant behaviour, hoping to change their circumstances. Hence, material inequity prompts individuals to act in defiance of values and social norms to express their grievances.
Marx argues that order in society is attained through power and domination rather than conformity and consensus (Khan et al., 2021). The conflict theory focuses on power and accessibility to limited resources. The ruling class or wealthy elites develop antisocial behaviour that makes the middle- and lower-class groups feel disadvantaged. Antisocial behaviour is the main cause of social inequity. As a result, the lower class becomes desperate for wealth and fame. Likewise, Kody was raised in a lower-class family where his mother could only afford the basic needs for her six children. The desire to change his family’s class is among the factors that influenced him to become a gangster. In the book, Kody recalls how his gang members made him believe that joining the gang would change their livelihoods.
The impact of desperation for wealth or fame includes stealing, violence, lying, disobedience, and violence. Conflict theory links all the violent performances in society to the unequal distribution of resources and power. The conflict theory reflects the factors that prompted Kody Scott to adopt gang life. Kody Scott was born and raised in South-Central Los Angeles, a region occupied by middle- and lower-class population groups. High competition for resources and power in this area resulted in more violent cases. Kody’s early exposure to violence and struggle for survival saw him develop adaptive mechanisms. One of the mechanisms was joining the Eight Tray gangster crips at 13.
Application of the Labeling Theory
Labeling theory explores the mental factors contributing to a violent perpetrator’s development. According to the theory, deviant behavior results from a deviant-like label applied to a person. For instance, when teachers or parents label a child as a troublemaker, the child is more likely to develop an adaptive mechanism (Calhoun et al., 2022)—in this case, developing an adaptive mechanism involves mentally adopting the label and embracing the characteristics of a troublemaker.
Based on the labeling theory, people become deviant after a negative identity is forced upon them by their surroundings. The theory also highlights that agents of social control attach negative labels or stigmatizing stereotypes to individuals, resulting in behavior change (Calhoun et al., 2022). Labeling theory provides a deeper understanding of how Kody Scott’s gang life can be reinterpreted with the symbolic labeling he encountered during his early life. At age 13, Kody was labeled a monster after beating a robbery victim until he was disfigured. As Scott experienced Athens’ stages of violentization, he received a range of negative labels, including ‘criminal,’ ‘gangster,’ and ‘monster.’ The stereotypes significantly shaped his personality. Scott mentally adopted the labels given to him. As a result, he adopted the characteristics of a monster. One of the characteristics of a monster is a lack of humanity.
In the 1970s, South Central Los Angeles was a crime hot spot. Most of the violent perpetrators were African Americans. During this time, Kody’s parents divorced, prompting his mother, Birdie Scott, to relocate with her six children to Central Los Angeles.
An increase in instances of violence in Los Angeles saw aggressive African Americans being labelled dangerous. Like other blacks who adopted the labels, Kody was impressed with the label and believed that he was a hero. At 14 years, Kody was arrested and charged with assault and theft (Shakur, 1994). He was then sentenced to nine months in a camp. As soon as he was freed, Kody performed another violent act that led to the death of one person. During this period, Kobby was labeled ‘dangerous,’ ‘criminal,’ and ‘inhuman.’ These labels given to him escalated his aggressiveness and desire to become more famous through crime.
Documentation of intervention
Labeling theory presents a pattern that can be recognized early in the development of the pathway to deviance. Scott was labeled a gangster after he was seen in the company of the Eight tray gangster crip members. Scott was labeled a gangster while undergoing the belligerency stage and was desperate to end the pain he was subjected to. He was in a dilemma between complying with the terms of the eight-tray gangster crip and avoiding the gang members (Shakur, 1994). Even though he may not have fully decided to join the gang, he was forced to develop an adaptive mechanism due to the label given to him. Hence, Scott’s friends and family members would have helped prevent the violent outcome if they had been aware of the labeling theory.
Understanding the impact or risks associated with negative labels given to individuals would have helped Scott’s family to detect his behavior change and seek proper intervention. One of the ways that his close family members would have helped prevent Scott’s violent outcomes was by monitoring his behavior change in relation to the labels given to him. Monitoring Scott’s behavior change would have helped seek proper intervention in case of unethical behavior that violated social norms.
Also, the labels given to Scott might have affected his self-esteem as he was still young and naïve. In this regard, Scott’s family members could have helped release his identity labels by increasing awareness of the impact of the labels on Scott’s mental wellness. Also, they would have consulted a mental health therapist to assess Scott’s mental health and provide effective therapeutic interventions to boost his self-esteem. For this reason, Scott’s family would have established a link between Scott’s increased deviant behavior and the negative labels given to him. Furthermore, the family would have used positive labels to prevent Scott’s violent outcomes. Positive labeling could be used to reduce Scott’s violent outcomes. For instance, positive labels such as “hero” would have made him feel a sense of shame or guilt for his past actions. In addition, positive labels influence a violent perpetrator to forgive and reintegrate into the community and family.
Critical Analysis of Theory Application and Intervention
An effective intervention plan can be developed in relation to the analysis of Athens’ theory of violentization, conflict theory, and Labelling theory. The model is known as SARA and consists of four stages: scanning, analysis, response, and assessment.
The first stage is scanning. Scanning involves studying the violent perpetrator’s view of crime. Understanding Scott’s view of crime was a step towards preventing his violent outcomes. According to Decker et al. (2018), exploring the violent perpetrator’s view of crime provides insights into their mental wellness and connection with their surroundings. A considerable percentage of violent perpetrators believe that violence is the most appropriate way of expressing their grievances (Hinkle et al., 2020). Also, the desperation for fame and domination among most gangsters outweighs their social values and humanity. Hence, the first step under Scott’s treatment/intervention is to explore his view of the impact of crime. This can be achieved by interviewing his close family members.
A thorough analysis of the research findings follows the gathering of information about Scott’s view of crime. Analysis of the research findings provides insights into Scott’s mental wellness and conscience. Also, analysis of the research findings would have helped identify Scott’s stage of crime development concerning Athens’ theory of violentization. In this case, each development step of violent perpetrators has a different intervention. For instance, the brutalization Stage requires proper counseling to see the subject regain self-realization. Hence, the next step is a response. An example of a response is counseling.
Like the process of exploring the perpetrator’s view of violence, the process of counseling can be organized through close family members. During counseling, the subject is given a comprehensive overview of what would happen if they fully comply or become submissive to their gang leaders. Also, it is necessary to inform the subject that he would be harmed or pressured into criminal acts as it would evoke his emotions and senses. The other aspect of the counseling process is to inform the subject of the long-term consequences of violence. Decker et al. (2018) reveal that most violent perpetrators have developed resilience pr adaptive mechanisms toward the short-term consequences of crime. Such perpetrators are aggressive and tend to overlook long-term consequences. Hence, emphasizing the long-term consequences would help attain behavior change. Long-term consequences include life imprisonment, death, and mental disability. In this case, the counselor would have told Scott that committing criminal acts would lead to arrest or he would lose his life.
The last step is recommending how to avoid his gang members. According to Rosen et al. (2019), some gang members would want to reform but fear retaliation and violence from their gangs. Most gang leaders consider leaving a gang as a betrayal. For this reason, they might instill fear and threat upon realizing that a gang member is planning to leave. Hence, recommending practical strategies to leave a gang safely would significantly result in behavior change. One of the strategies is advising the perpetrator to relocate to a different State. For instance, Scott would have moved from Los Angeles to New Jersey. In addition to providing recommendations on how to leave the gang safely, the is a need to minor Scott’s behavior change and identify ineffective areas in the intervention plan that requires review and implementation.
Systematic Review
Various research has been conducted to determine the efficiency of the SARA model in managing deviant behavior. Herold & Eck (2020) proposes a problem-oriented policing approach that is based on the SARA model. On the other hand, del Castillo (2018) provides a comprehensive analysis of how the effectiveness of the SARA and problem-oriented policing models can be enhanced using technology. In their article, Herold & Eck (2020) utilizes the SARA approach to identify the prevalence and measures against violence. The article conducted a scanning process to determine the prevalence of crime in the United States and the factors that prompt an individual to join gang groups. Del Castillo’s (2018) research findings were obtained from 20 semi-structured interviews conducted with members of the Uruguay National Police.
In contrast, Herold & Eck’s (2020) research findings are based on an analysis of gun violence in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati-based Police’s criminal record databases were used to provide data and information in the research. The research findings showed that violence is highly concentrated in micro places known as hot spots. These hotspot areas report serious violent performances that increase over time. Working-class and lower-class population groups occupy most hot spot areas. The second step is the analysis of the research findings. Herold & Eck (2020) analyzes the research findings before highlighting possible recommendations to help minimize violence. An increase in violence cases in hot spot areas implies a high rate of individuals forming new gangs or being recruited into existing gang groups. Also, violence is prevalent in areas with high competition for limited resources. The articles’ research findings align with Scott’s story. Scott was born and raised in a violent hot spot area where different forms of violence were prevalent.
Responses follow the analysis of the research findings. According to Herold & Eck’s (2020) article, police should focus on hotspot areas to minimize the rate at which individuals are recruited into violent groups. Extra focus on hot spot areas would help address the problem by identifying and arresting leaders and the most influential members of the violent groups. On the other hand, del Castillo (2018) argues that the most effective response involves a combination of increased police presence, strict policies, community building, and programs that address the underlying opportunities for violence.
Conclusion
Kody Scott’s gang life was influenced by his childhood experiences and social and economic factors. The three theories, Athens, labeling, and Conflict theory, focus on the factors that draw violent perpetrators like Scott into aggression. Unlike deviant behavior, which violates social norms, violence violates social laws. However, deviant behavior is also linked to criminal behavior. The SARA model is an effective way of examining the causes of violence, analyzing the factors contributing to the violence, developing a practical response that targets specific contributing factors, and assessing the effectiveness of the response.
References
Calhoun, C., Gerteis, J., Moody, J., Pfaff, S., & Virk, I. (Eds.). (2022). Contemporary sociological theory.John Wiley & Sons.
Del Castillo, F. (2018). Obstacles to problem-oriented policing in Montevideo. Policing: An International Journal.
Decker, M. R., Wilcox, H. C., Holliday, C. N., & Webster, D. W. (2018). An integrated public health approach to interpersonal violence and suicide prevention and response. Public Health Reports, 133(1_suppl), 65S-79S.
Hinkle, J. C., Weisburd, D., Telep, C. W., & Petersen, K. (2020). Problem‐oriented policing for reducing crime and disorder: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 16(2), e1089.
Herold, T. D., & Eck, J. E. (2020). Gun Violence in Cincinnati, Ohio. In Problem-Oriented Policing (pp. 28-39). Routledge.
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Rosen, T., Makaroun, L. K., Conwell, Y., & Betz, M. (2019). Violence in older adults: scope, impact, challenges, and strategies for prevention. Health Affairs, 38(10), 1630-1637.
Ross, A. (2019). Examining the violentisation process and the likelihood of first time offenders becoming dangerous violent perpetrators, amongst offenders diverted from various courts in the Western Cape (Master’s thesis, Faculty of Humanities).
Shakur, S. (1994). Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member. Penguin Books.
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