Research Articles (Criminology)

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    Gang sub-culture: an exploration of youth gangs in the Free State province
    (Criminological Society of Africa (CRIMSA), 2015) Phillips, Ashwill Ramon; Maritz, Leanné
    The concept of gangs has existed since the dawn of early Roman society (circa 753BC), where youths formed unique social groups in conflict with generally accepted societal norms. The concept 'youth gang', however, only originated in Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries with the phenomenon of vagabonds. Throughout the ages, history shows that whenever societies are undergoing large scale socio-political and economic turmoil, there is usually an upsurge in the number of displaced youth seeking alternative means of survival, especially in a surrogate group context. Despite this vulnerability, there is a dearth of research pertaining to the crime and victimisation patterns associated with gang formation within the Free State region of the Republic of South Africa. Gang-related activities in the province are rife, and gangs, such as the Dickies, Dogs of War (DOW), Triple 6 (666), Born to Kill (BTK), International Junior Portuguese (IJP) and Natural Born Killers (NBK) are running rampant. These groups tend to conform to the commonly held beliefs of street gangs found in the literature, however in certain circumstances also include elements of the occult and African witchcraft. Since little is known about this new type of gang formation, this study provides an explorative account of these groups, primarily informed by a documentary analysis of the South African Police Service.
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    Rethinking occultism and crime: satanism, the occult and youth gang subcultures in the global and South African context
    (Criminological Society of Africa (CRIMSA), 2018) Roelofse, Cornelis; Phillips, Ashwill Ramon; Maritz, Leanné; Petrus, Theodore
    The relationship between occultism and crime has often been explored in the criminological literature within the context of ritualistic crimes. In many instances, such crimes have been linked to Satanism and the occult (in its various guises). In the United States (US), Perlmutter’s (2004) text on religious terrorism and ritualistic crimes sought to provide some insights into the ritualised context of occult-related crimes and identified various subgroups whose criminal activities are underpinned by specific religious and ritualistic beliefs and practices. In the South African context, various scholars have explored occult-related crimes ranging from Satanism-related crime to African witchcraft-related crime. However, in the South African context, little work has been done on the relationship between the occult and crime within the context of youth gang subcultures. This discussion seeks to contribute to this under-researched issue by arguing for a rethinking of occultism and crime. It is argued that the emergence of occult beliefs and practices among youth gangs in South Africa necessitates a new way of approaching the occult and crime relationship, one that seeks to apply perspectives on this relationship to gang subcultures. This suggested rethinking of the occultism and crime relationship is timely, especially considering the apparent rise in occult-related dynamics among youth gang subcultures in South Africa and elsewhere.
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    Youth in conflict with the law: a criminological exploration of the social factors perpetuating misconduct
    (UNISA Press, 2021) Phillips, Ashwill Ramon
    In recent years, there has been an upsurge in the quantity of transgressions perpetrated by adolescents, signifying that a considerable proportion of the youth populace experiences a great degree of marginalisation within their social milieu. Moreover, many youths have succumbed to challenges related to academic failure, socio-economic adversity, family turmoil, substance abuse and deviant peer affiliation. Consequently, this impedes their transition into adulthood and dissuades them from evolving into meaningful social actors. Based on this premise, the current study was conducted to explore the socio-criminogenic risk factors which manifest in the family, community, school and peer group domain, through gauging the lived experiences of youth regarding the factors which they most closely associate with their offending behaviour. Data were obtained using a sample of 20 males incarcerated at the Kimberley Youth Development Centre in the Northern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa, and analysed using thematic analysis. Several key factors perpetuating youth misconduct were identified, including antisocial peer-affiliation, gang membership, community disorganisation and illicit substance use. It is thus envisaged that these findings will stimulate further research, contribute to the existing body of knowledge and aid in policy development, with the reduction of conflict as the ultimate aim.
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    Forged in secrecy, sealed in blood: the origin, initiation, symbolism, hierarchy and power dynamics within devil-worshipping gangs in the Free State province
    (University of the Free State, 2024) Phillips, Ashwill; Cronje, M.
    An investigation by the South African Police Service in 1997 led to the discovery of a devil-worshipping group or ‘evil church’ that moved from parts of northern Africa and settled in Maseru, Lesotho. This group allegedly combined elements of the occult with traditional African witchcraft, giving rise to what local communities refer to as ‘devil-worshipping gangs’. Since 2011, these groups have evolved and spread throughout the Free State province, perpetrating crimes which range from murder to organ trafficking and rape. They have gained notoriety for committing ‘spiritually motivated’ crimes that include the consumption of human flesh, ritual stabbings, and purported communication with demonic entities. Despite their infamy, and the fear their gang-related practices induce, not much is known about these youth gangs. Extant research is primarily based on secondary data obtained from service providers and desktop analyses. Their enigmatic nature and complex structures also serve to complicate crime prevention efforts in communities, posing a plethora of social challenges and exacerbating crime rates. Accordingly, a qualitative study was conducted with 39 detained male offenders and 18 service providers to explore the existence of these groups and their unique practices related to initiation, symbolism, hierarchy and occult belief system.