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Assignment 2 Criminal profiling within the African-Australian community

Submitted as a SOC20020 Project Report

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A functioning society requires its citizens to adhere a set of defined rules set by societal norms and values, but what do all these terms mean? Within sociological terms, norms are defined as acceptable standards of behaviours and rules within in a society outlined by the dominate societal group, whereas values are the behaviours deemed as important to distinguish what is or is not acceptable (Roach Anleu 2006, p. 45). An individual who exhibits behaviours against, or violates those rules are labelled a deviant; however, norms and values can vary between different families, social groups, societies and cultures, therefore the perception of what is deviant varies (Roach Anleu 2006, p. 09). As a result society may label an individual or group as deviant based on varying norms and values. One such example of this labelling is the media’s portrayal of African-Australian youths as a result of gang violence. To shed light on this phenomena this essay will examine Calla Wahlquist’s article '”We’re not a gang”: the unfair stereotyping of African-Australians’, published in the Guardian newspaper (2018). This article describes how the society’s portrayal of crimes committed by ‘the Apex gang’ has subsequently labelled all African-Australians as gang members, which in turn is deemed as deviant within Australian society (Wahlquist 2018). Because a gang, and its members, decide to follow their own rules outside of conventional norms and values, explicitly using crime as a means of sustainability. This essay will describe how sociological theories surrounding deviance and conformity can be used to explain why gang membership and violence exists, as well as, the impact labelling has on social exclusion, increasing perceived deviant behaviour. When examining Wahlquist’s (2018) article, the historical context surrounding Australian crime rates and gang violence, explicitly the escalation in activity of the now defunct Apex gang (their successor being a gang called Menace of Society) needs to be explained. The Gang first came to light during the 10 March 2016 Moomba festival in Melbourne when a group of African-Australian (mainly Sudanese) youths rampaged through Melbourne CBD, dubbed in the media as the Moomba Riots. These youths were a part of a gang dubbed by police, and by themselves, as the Apex gang. Police would then go onto label this gang as a violent gang, a term that was also used throughout the media (REF). Although, this was the first media portrayal of the Apex gang, police had noted that they were already aware of the gang due to their involvement in other crimes (Davey 2016). Many media commentators stated that criminal acts carried out by African-Australians was due to the significant crime rates in most African countries; however, when compared to reportable crime statistics in Victoria, Sudan has significantly lower rates, specifically revolving around

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aggravated assault, car theft and home invasions (Fransworth & Wright 2016). Overall, Sudanese youths are disproportionately represented in Victorian crime statistics, with ‘Sudanese-born youths being responsible for 5.65% of car thefts, 7.44% of alleged home invasions and 13.9% of aggravated robberies’ compared to their population being 0.14% in Victoria according to the 2011 Census ((Fransworth & Wright 2016 & Wahlquist 2018). These statistics only take into consideration reportable crime within Australia and Sudan, indicates that Sudanese-born youths are more likely to be involved in criminal activity, according to the media. The media’s portrayal of African-Australian gang violence has resulted in an increase in public fear, fuelling the public to label all African-Australians as gang members and as a result deviants. Within Wahlquist’s (2018) article, it is described that as a result of the 2016 Moomba Riots, African-Australians face constant racial profiling and discrimination with one South Sudanese male stating that “being racially profiled by them (police) has become the norm even for law abiding people of South Sudanese descent”. In a separate article by Mills and Houston (2016), they indicate that many Australian-African community leaders had expressed their concerns that children have no sense of unity; this was also confirmed in a speech by Dr Tim Soutphommasane (2018) from the Australian Human Rights Commission. Many African-Australian youths no longer feel that they are a part of the overall community, due to being labelled a gang member, nor do they adhere to their traditional family values without being further discriminated against (Benier et al. 2019, p. 32). This further exacerbates the issue of African-Australian’s possibly adapting gang culture to fulfil their desire to belong after being socially ostracised. One such sociological perspective that could explain this lack of unity and cohesion is Merton's strain/anomie theory. As hypothesised by Merton, when pressure is placed on an individual to conform to social norms, the individual must either work within the overall social structure or conform to their own defined goals and be defined as a deviant. (Roach Anleu 2006, p. 48-50). Strain theory proposes that a person’s reaction to strain can take five adaptations being: innovation, conformity, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion; which is the overall rejection of a socially defined norm or behaviour (value), whilst replacing both with their own, which is usually considered deviant by the socially dominant (Roach Anleu 2006, p4849). This rebellious adaptation can be seen amongst African-Australian youths, they feel that they cannot conform to societal norms so they turn to African dominated groups and even gangs as a way of seeking acceptance. During an interview with two Apex gang members,

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they were asked why they chose to join the group. In response they both stated that "(the) gang is your best friend. Your whole group, you can do anything. You're happy, you want to do anything” and “I went to the bad side. I used to be good” (9.News 2017). These responses suggest that regardless of their motive to join the group, the two individuals have found a sense of belonging that could not be satisfied within general society, even when they knew that their behaviour was deviant. Strain theory can be used to explain the disunity or anomie observed amongst many Australian-African youths; however, only broadly explains why they feel this way. Many African migrants marvel as to why their race, ethnicity and even their cultural background is one of the only driving characteristics that are linked to media reports surrounding crime, when the same level of racial profiling is not afforded to other offenders. One such explanation can be observed within labelling theory. Labelling theory is the idea that selfidentity and personal behaviours may be influenced by the terms used to categorise them (Bernburg 2009, p. 179). The theory is connected to stereotyping and one’s internal views of self-fulfilling prophecies, either negative or positive. When using labelling theory in relation to African-Australians and gang crime, it is apparent that the use of terms such as “African gangs” within media places a specific deviant label based on one characteristic on a broad sub culture. The connection between gang (deviant behaviour) and African (sub culture) ultimately led to an increase level of fear amongst the society and the subsequent misguided stereotyping of all African-Australians as gang members. Labelling theory, specifically its adaptation by David Matza, suggests that being cast or labelled as a deviant increases the process of exercising that particular behaviour (Matza 1969, p. 93). In the case of African-Australians, although there has been no reported increase in gang membership, many news articles and research papers suggests that there has been an increase African-Australian youths committing criminal acts (Benier et al. 2019, p. 9, Booth 2018 and Wahlquist 2018). Further, within Wahlquist’s (2018) article one interviewee stated that “It (the criminal profiling of African-Australians) isolates community members and makes them think they are not part of the society, and actually that they can never become part of the society”. With no alternative to find social acceptance this criminal and racial profiling may force may disfranchised African-Australian youths to adopt gang culture in order to gain some form of social inclusion, which is otherwise not offered by society at large. According to a report compiled by Victorian-based university researchers “some young men from the South Sudanese community have actively attempted to dissociate themselves

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from their community as a means of avoiding negative stereotypes and finding a place in society that engenders less conflict and tension for them” (Benier et al. 2019, p. 48). Overall, African-Australians can only guess whether Caucasian Africans are also included within this African gang’s label, but sadly the racial connection indicates that this may not be the case. Another sociological perspective that can be applied in relation to deviant profiling of African-Australians in takes the form of political and economic sociological theories, specifically theories surrounding conflict. These theories are based on the works of Karl Marx surrounding social conflict, where he describes that there are inequalities between different social classes, upper and lower, rich and poor (Roach Anleu 2006, p. 60-61). Social conflict theories depicts society as a system on unequal groups (racial, ethnic or gender) and as a result generates conflict. Overall, social conflict theories incorporate many of the principles of labelling theory but when looking at crime focus less on why individuals or groups participate in criminal activity, but why that activity is considered criminal (Roach Anleu 2006, p. 63). For instance, gang membership is considered deviant because the gang is only beholden to its own laws and not the laws of the society. Gangs operate outside of social control. Crime is also deviant because it has direct economic ramifications for the victims and the entire social structure. Social conflict theory describes that different groups do not share the same values nor do they agree on what behaviours should be deemed as deviant. The dominate group stipulates what values should be adhered to and what laws should be enforces, including what penalties should be associated with those laws. On the other hand the minority group are discriminated against, singled out by law enforcement and receive heavier penalties. Social conflicts have many factors but predominately focus on abuse, power, influence and inequality, which generally result in inequality amongst multiple societal sub groups (Roach Anleu 2006, p. 60-61). Within social conflict the majority group/s will generally have an advantage over the minority group. Within the case of African-Australian criminal profiling, race is the major defining factor and as a minority group are certainly at a social disadvantage. A report published by researchers from the Monash University, Melbourne University and the Centre for Multicultural Youth examined how the increase of race-based crime reporting impact African-Australians, specifically Sudanese individuals, living in Australia. Overall, the researchers confirmed that crime reporting negatively impacted the day to day lives of the community and is responsible for the continued discrimination against them (Benier et al.2019, p. 05). The Study confirmed that all focus

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group participants felt that racial profiling by the police, government, media and subsequently the wider public had increased, with many participants also reported being subject to intense racial abuse (Benier et al. 2019, p. 24). Further, the researchers also confirmed that two years post the Moomba Riots the words “gang” and Sudanese” had been seen within 130 published news articles within Victoria, compared to four published articles prior (Benier et al. 2019, p. 09). Within this scenario, the media is a tool used by dominant groups to maintain their advantaged over the subordinate group. Perceived deviance and conformity is a complex phenomenon within a society. When analysing the overt discrimination faced by the African-Australian community post the 2016 Moomba Riots, many sociological theories can be used to explain these events. Strain theory indicates that many African-Australian youths feel they have no choice but to rebel against the social structure leading to increased criminal activity and possibly gang membership to gain some form of inclusion. Rebellious actions in line with labelling theory shows that when an individual is labelled as a deviant they are ostracised by society and further look to exclude themselves and display the deviant behaviour they are labelled with. Finally, through the use of social conflict theory it can be seen how conflict amongst differing social results in the dominate group stipulating social values, using social messaging to control the narrative and then place deviant labels on the minority groups. All in all this is an example of social groups struggling for dominance within the overall societal system.

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Reference List 9 News 2017,’ Apex members reveal the allure of Melbourne's notorious teen gang’, A Current Affaire, 01 May 2017, viewed 27 March 2020, . Benier, KJ, Blaustein, JB, Johns, D & Maher, SL 2018, 'Don't drag us into this': Growing Up South Sudanese in Victoria after the 2016 Moomba 'riot'. Carlton, Victoria. Bernburg, JG 2009, Handbook on crime and deviance, Springer, Labeling theory, pp. 179193. Booth, A 2018, ‘Criminologist warns against sensationalising Victoria's African youth crime’, SBS News, 04 January 2018, viewed 27 March 2020 . Davey, M 2016, ‘Melbourne street brawl blamed on Apex gang after Moomba festival’, The Guardian, 14 March 2016, viewed 27 March 2020, < https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/14/melbourne-street-brawlblamed-on-apex-gang-after-moomba-festival >. Fransworth, S & Wright, P 2016, ‘Statistics raise questions about calls to deport youth offenders’, ABC News, 06 December 2016, viewed 27 March 2020 . Matza, D 1969, Becoming Deviant, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice Hall. Mills, T & Houston C 2016, ‘Melbourne CBD brawl: Who are the Apex gang?’,The Age, 14 March 2016, viewed 27 March 2020 . Roach Anleu, SL 2006, Deviance, conformity and control, 4th edn, Pearson Education Australia. Soutphommasane, T 2018, ‘Talking diversity amid racial hysteria’, Australian Human Rights Commission, 27 July 2018, viewed 27 March 2020 . Wahlquist, C 2018, ‘Is Melbourne in the grip of African crime gangs? The facts behind the lurid headlines’, the Guardian, 03 january 2018, viwed 27 March 2020 .

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Wahlquist, C 2018, ‘Were not a gang:the pain of being an african australian’, the Guardian, 06 january 2018, viwed 25 March 2020 < https://www.theguardian.com/australianews/2018/jan/06/were-not-a-gang-the-pain-of-being-african-australian>....