This paper will look at one of Sanyika Shakur’s first violent crimes and attempt to explain them using the modeling theory and the social disorganization theory. The subject was born Kody Dejohn Scott on November 12, 1963, and received the street moniker “Monster” after stomping an elderly black man for 20 minutes, leaving him disfigured and in a coma (Shakur, 2004). The crime under analysis in this paper is Kody’s first gang shooting, which happened in 1975. The modeling theory supposes that humans learn most of their behavior through observation, and decide whether to use it based on the authority and status of the role model (Vito & Maahs, 2015). The social disorganization theory states that specific locations in cities tend to invoke criminal activity.
Kody’s background was far from perfect, as he was allegedly born from an affair between his mother Birdie Canada, and professional football player Richard Lee Bass. His father, Ernest Scott, was deeply offended by Birdie’s act of adultery and remained exasperated by it for the rest of his time with the family. This hatred manifested itself in the form of frequent physical abuse towards Kody and Birdie, as well as poor treatment of his non-biological son, compared to the others. In 1970, Kody’s parents divorced, and in 1972 his family moved to a crime-ridden neighborhood in the west part of South Central Los Angeles, where Kody had his first experience with a gang.
As Birdie had to work multiple jobs to provide for her children without a husband, Kody was often left unattended. Having nothing else to do, he spent much of his time in the streets, which inevitably led to him fraternizing with his neighbor, who happened to be the leader of a local gang named West Side Crips. During that time, the child was exposed to drugs and stories of the many crimes committed by the Crips. He was later initiated into the group, which immediately took him to shoot a rival gang. He shot several people that day, acting aggressively during the attack, and only realizing the severity of his actions late at night when the adrenaline and the drugs have worn off (Shakur, 2004). This information will be analyzed using the chosen theories to attempt to determine the cause of the crime.
The first theory to be used is the social disorganization theory, which claims that crime is caused by the lack of order in local society. The researchers have found that “delinquency is highest in the zone in transition” – the part of the city that is constantly changing (Vito & Maahs, 2015, p. 100). The specific factors outlined in the theory include the poor condition of buildings, varied ethnical makeup, high population turnover, and low income. The factors prevent the community from developing in a positive direction, as they cause a lack of mutual trust and support between neighbors and hinder the work of public institutions. In addition, as the traditional organization ceases to exist, gangs appear and maintain their culture by passing it to new generations.
When applying this theory to Kody’s case, one can see that his neighborhood was a prominent example of a disorganized society. As indicated by his mother’s example, it was a place where people went when they could not afford to live in a more stable part of town. Moreover, the gang subculture was already entrenched in this part of the city. The established gangs created an environment where unsupervised children had high chances of becoming involved in criminal activity, and Kody became the victim of this system. However, the ease with which Kody was amused by stories of violence, and his willingness to shoot other gangsters could have a separate root cause, which the other theory would explain.
The modeling theory is applicable to this case, as Kody both observed and experienced domestic violence on a regular basis for a substantial part of his childhood. Sustaining physical abuse from a father figure was likely to cause him to subconsciously perceive violence as something natural. This is confirmed by the research, which claims that children who saw their parents hit each other are likely to apply this to their relationships (Vito & Maahs, 2015). Similar patterns had emerged when a child’s peers exhibited violent behavior, which further increases the theory’s relevance to this case.
It appears that both theories expose valid reasons for Kody’s criminal tendencies. However, the social disorganization theory only covers the most recent reasons, which come from the location his family moved to. The modeling theory, on the other hand, shows the problems in his family, which must have had a much more severe impact on his psychological condition than the environment he later had to live in. Moreover, this theory also encompasses the reasons suggested by the social disorganization theory, specifically the behavior Kody saw in his peers, and ultimately adopted for himself.
To conclude, two theories have been used to analyze the case of Sanyika Shakur. The social disorganization theory states that a decaying society induces criminal tendencies. The modeling theory claims that people learn most of their behavior by observing other people. Even though both approaches reveal valid causes of Kody’s vicious actions, the modeling theory gives more comprehensive coverage and is, therefore, more effective in explaining this situation.
References
Shakur, S. (2004). Monster: The autobiography of an L.A. gang member. Grove Press.
Vito, G. F., & Maahs, J. R. (2015). Criminology : Theory, research, and policy. Jones & Bartlett Learning.