The Synopsis of the Story
As the world was ushering in the New Year, Chicago was met with a disturbing video that went viral. The terrifying video involved four black men bullying a white man. The four recorded their indecent acts as they kidnapped, gagged and humiliated the victim, who is disabled. The 18-year old victim is a subject of schizophrenia, a mental illness, and attention deficit disorder. Regardless of his state, the group appeared to derive pleasure in mistreating the young man as they laughed along. Even worse, they issued death threats without any sign of compassion or remorse.
In fact, one of them is heard criticizing and condemning white people. He goes on to express his lack of concern about a victim who has a mental disorder. Suffice is to say the group targeted the victim for being white and disabled. However, the four, whose ages ranged between 18 and 24, were prosecuted and contained without bail. He was found guilty of committing various felonies, including hate crimes, by the Cook County Circuit Court (Smith and Perez-Pena, 2017). This was to serve as a lesson to similar crimes, especially given that they are on the rise.
Here is the link to this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/us/chicago-racially-charged-attack-video.html?_r=0
Exploring the Criminological Research on the Crime
The history of people with disabilities, including developmental delays, has not completely changed. Discrimination against this group is now taking a new twist. Unlike in the past when they were hidden and secluded for being “useless”, they are now victims of harassment-related issues. In an era where racial disparity is still in play, though in obscure forms, discrimination against disability is based on race. Although there are many cases of indecency against disabled people, only an insignificant number is revealed. Most of these ugly instances are either undermined or go undetected. More so, most victims are not willing to come forward and report the perpetrators to the law enforcement agencies in order to escape embarrassment or retaliation (European Intelligence Wire, 2016). Others found it difficult to tell on the offenders since they have an invisible disability.
There are also scenarios where they are not taken seriously. For instance, it may be hard to believe the complaint of a mentally ill individual. Again, the current federal civil rights protections do not satisfactorily include hate crimes (European Intelligence Wire, 2016). That is why a majority of disability-based hate crimes are labeled as “abuse”. Therefore, the value of disable people is significantly fading out. This is especially so given that many cases do not encounter justice. Coupling this with the fact that many countries do not account for disabled people as a protected group, it is daunting to eliminate this vice. Much emphasis is put on biases related to sex or race. Going by the multiple surveys examining this crime, it is important for the community to help in serving justice. The society can readily corporate with law enforcement agencies to ensure that biases against people with disability are reported and fairly handled.
The Origin of the Crime in Relation to a Social Structure Theory
Social structure theories are instrumental in the criminological arena. They endear to link the causes of crime to the disadvantaged lot in the society, particularly in terms of economic class. They purports that the lower class in the societal strata spurs criminal activities owing to frustrations, disorganization and strain forces (Cote, 2012). The argument is connected to certain resources and experiences. The theories have it that the social and economic status associated with the lower class can compel these people to lead disruptive lives, whether conscious or not. Moreover, these theories have faced revisions to cater for the community initiatives meant to improve the situation of the disadvantaged groups.
In explaining this crime, we will use the General Strain Theory. It is among the theories which have seen revisions in a bid to account for differences. In this case, the four African-Americans acted out of a mixture of strains. The racial slurs heard in the video manifest frustrations that resonate with the acquisition of the American dream. As it is known, the whites have claimed supremacy since time immemorial. Here, the mixture of strain which may have influenced the intolerable behavior includes subcultures, deviant values, abuse and neglect, and the frustrations of being lower class. The factors have swiftly interacted within the class of this group thus pushing them to execute hate crimes.
In spite of them having the potential to make the right choice and developing resiliency to these frustrations, they opt to shamelessly terrorize the victim. Abusing someone is one thing, and to enjoy doing it is another. Apparently, the four exploited the two. This is a display of scorned individuals. People who have submitted to frustrations and peer pressure to form a culture of defiance. To that end, they wrongfully embrace their disadvantaged condition thus aligning with the stereotypes the surround blacks. It is challenging to undertake certain actions when one is in his/her right mind. Therefore, the four African-Americans were under the influence of sorts, as stated above.
References
Cote, S. (2012). Criminological theories: Bridging the past to the future. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
European Intelligence Wire(2011). Rape and crimes against the disabled: the state admits it should do more. Europe Intelligence Wire.
Smith, M. Perez-Pena, R. (2017, Jan 6). Beating of Disabled Teenager Highlights a Crime That Often Goes Unpunished. Retrieved Jan 8, 2017, from Thee New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/us/chicago-racially-charged-attack-video.html?_r=0
