Up until yesterday, everyone thought the London looters were all young people with no jobs and no hopes for a better future. But as details emerged from courtrooms, it turned out those expectations were wrong.
Many of the looters were past their twenties and most of them had decent jobs. Among the ones getting extra attention from the media are a teaching assistant, a lifeguard, a postal worker, an organic chef, a charity worker, a millionaire’s daughter and an 11-year-old boy. In addition, contrary to the expectations of many, most of the looters were white.
So what made these good people do bad deeds? This lecture by Philip Zimbardo explains some of the possible causes. Start watching from the ~11th minute if you want to skip the introduction. I know it’s a long clip, but it’s worth watching as it offers the best explanation of the situation.
