Why do people riot? Examining rioter motivations and the role of the police

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dc.abstract.enThis article examines different theoretical explanations for rioting and crowd disorder drawing on psychological, sociological and political perspectives. The role of the law and in particular, police practice in tackling and exacerbating crowd violence are explored with a critical eye on the latest police science research. Both psychological motivations of rioters and systemic intersectional inequalities are considered together in this piece to comprehensively account for the reasons why people choose to riot. The adequacy of theoretical explanations and recommendations for how future riots might be avoided are considered in relation to the English riots of August 2011 and August 2024.
dc.affiliationWydział Psychologii we Wrocławiu
dc.contributor.authorWillmott, Dominic
dc.contributor.authorLong, Matt
dc.contributor.authorAgneswaran, Amuda
dc.contributor.authorLabhardt, Danielle
dc.date.access2025-09-01
dc.date.accessioned2026-10-07T10:43:38Z
dc.date.available2026-10-07T10:43:38Z
dc.date.created2024-11-01
dc.date.issued2025-09-01
dc.description.abstract<jats:p> This article examines different theoretical explanations for rioting and crowd disorder drawing on psychological, sociological and political perspectives. The role of the law and in particular, police practice in tackling and exacerbating crowd violence are explored with a critical eye on the latest police science research. Both psychological motivations of rioters and systemic intersectional inequalities are considered together in this piece to comprehensively account for the reasons <jats:italic>why</jats:italic> people choose to riot. The adequacy of theoretical explanations and recommendations for how future riots might be avoided are considered in relation to the English riots of August 2011 and August 2024. </jats:p>
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.issue3
dc.description.physical476-494
dc.description.sdgQualityEducation
dc.description.sdgReducedInequalities
dc.description.sdgPeaceJusticeAndStrongInstitutions
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume98
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/0032258X241299620
dc.identifier.eissn1740-5599
dc.identifier.issn0032-258X
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2592
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0032258X241299620
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOTHER
dc.subject.enRioting
dc.subject.enpolicing
dc.subject.enoffender narratives
dc.subject.entypology
dc.subject.enelaborated social identity model
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleWhy do people riot? Examining rioter motivations and the role of the police
dc.title.journalPolice Journal
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle