1. © 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Crisis Intervention
William Harmening
Roosevelt University
Harmening, Crisis Intervention: The Criminal Justice Response to Chaos, Mayhem, and
Disaster
Chapter 10
RESPONDING TO MASS PANIC

2. © 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
To explain the concept of mass panic.
To list and define the various types of mass panic.
To summarize the psychology of mass panic, and to define
relevant factors such as the Schelling incident, deindividuation,
and contagion.
To describe the police response to mass panic, and to explain
why preparedness, command and communication, and
contingency planning are important.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

3. To explain the concept of mass panic.
Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
10.1

4. 10.1 The Nature of Mass Panic
OVERVIEW
The onset of mass panic can be chaotic and dangerous. When
panic sets in, people oftentimes set aside their own values and
self-expectations and adopt those of the larger crowd.
Some of the more highly publicized cases of mass panic have
included:
• Hurricane Katrina
• L.A. Riots
• The Beltway Sniper case
• 9/11
• The Summer of Sam
An ineffective police response will only worsen a mass panic, as
was clearly seen in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

5. To list and define the various types of
mass panic.
Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
10.2

6. 10.2 Types of Mass Panic
OVERVIEW
The method of containing and de-escalating a mass panic is
determined in large part by the underlying factors that led to the
crisis. There are four types of mass panic:
• Fear-driven panic
• Desperation-driven panic
• Anger-driven panic
• Excitement-driven panic

7. 10.2 Types of Mass Panic
FEAR-DRIVEN PANIC
• No panic will spread quicker if left uncontained.
• People tend to become very egocentric as they shift into
survival mode to escape the source of the fear.
• Containment must be attempted quickly by the police through
a high visibility presence to minimize the fear level.
• EX: 9/11, yelling “fire” in a theater

8. 10.2 Types of Mass Panic
DESPERATION-DRIVEN PANIC
• Often seen following a natural disaster. Spurred on by a lack of
resources.
• If not contained, can lead to violence as panic increases.
• Otherwise peaceful and law-abiding people may loot, riot, or
even kill as a result of their heightened egocentricity
overpowering their rational judgment and decision-making.
• This type of panic will be accelerated if there is a perceived
loss of control on the part of the police and other responders.
• EX: Hurricane Katrina (New Orleans)

9. 10.2 Types of Mass Panic
ANGER-DRIVEN PANIC
• Typically violent and dangerous.
• Rather than heightened egocentricity, participants may adopt
the values and expectations of the larger group. Otherwise non-
violent people may engage in violent and destructive activities
as moral and ethical controls break down.
• Police may de-escalate through the use of force. Their use of
force however may potentially cause a peaceful demonstration
to turn into a anger-driven panic.
• EX: L.A. riots, WTO riots in Seattle.

10. 10.2 Types of Mass Panic
EXCITEMENT-DRIVEN PANIC
• Often begins as a celebration following some event, such as a
sporting event.
• Like the anger-driven panic, this type of panic occurs when
individual participants adopt the goals and expectations of the
larger group, disregarding their own moral and ethical standards
and controls.
• Can turn violent if not contained quickly. The police can
actually prevent this type of panic through effective proactive
tactics, such as saturating potential hotspots with personnel.
• EX: Super Bowl celebration in the city streets following the game
turns violent as people begin to destroy property.

11. To summarize the psychology of mass
panic, and to define relevant factors
such as the Schelling incident,
deindividuation, and contagion.
Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
10.3

12. 10.3 Psychology of Mass Panic
THE SCHELLING INCIDENT
• Typically seen in an anger or excitement-driven panic.
• Named after Thomas Schelling (1960), the first to describe this
dynamic of panic.
• It is an incident that acts to initiate the panic and cause
participants to abandon their own moral and ethical controls and
behave in accordance with the goals and expectations of the
larger group.
The L.A. Riots of 1992: Incident: The jury’s acquittal of the officers
charged in the beating of Rodney King.
• Schelling incidents can be something as simple as the sound of
glass breaking, or perhaps the use of force by police. It serves as
a signal to participants that they will not be acting alone.

13. 10.3 Psychology of Mass Panic
DEINDIVIDUATION
• When individual participants immerse themselves in the group
to the point of losing their sense of self-identity and becoming
anonymous participants with less personal responsibility for their
own actions.
• The group reaches a COLLECTIVE MIND, and once it does,
individuals who have willingly set aside their individuality begin to
conform their behavior to the perceived norms of the group.
• People are highly suggestive in this state. Deindividuation can
spread rapidly, a process known as CONTAGION.
• Like the Schelling incident, typically seen in an anger or
excitement-driven panic.

14. 10.3 Psychology of Mass Panic
FEAR AND DESPERATION-DRIVEN PANICS
• Whereas anger and excitement-driven panics tend to be
confrontational toward the police, fear and desperation-driven
panics tend to at least start out as non-confrontational toward the
police.
• Rather than DEINDIVIDUATION, participants in these panics tend
to experience HYPER-INDIVIDUATION. Rather than adopting the
group’s perceived norms and objectives, they take on an
everyone-for-themselves mentality as they shift into survival
mode.
• These panics are typically initiated by a perceived loss of
control. Whereas participants in an anger or excitement-driven
panic are running toward a target or objective, participants in a
fear or desperation-driven panic are running away from a source
or circumstance.

15. 10.3 Psychology of Mass Panic
SUMMARY
Anger and Excitement-driven
Panics
Fear and Desperation-driven
Panics
Initial demeanor
toward police
Confrontational Non-confrontational
Loss of control Intentional Unintentional
Onset of panic/
motivating factor
External/ Schelling incident Internal/ loss of control
Individual
psychological
response
Deindividuation Hyper-individuation

16. To describe the police response to
mass panic, and to explain why
preparedness, command and
communication, and contingency
planning are important.
Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
10.4

17. 10.4 The Police Response
OVERVIEW
The police response to mass panic, or potential panic, is critical
to containing and de-escalating the event. Either an under-
response or an over-response can have deadly implications.
Examples:
• L.A. riots of 1992: The L.A. under-responded by focusing on
containing the riot to a geographic area and not moving in to
de-escalate. It became the deadliest riot in U.S. history.
• Hurricane Katrina (2005): The lack of response by the New
Orleans Police Department set off a desperation-driven riot that
led to the deaths of many.
• Seattle WTO riots of 1999: The over-response by the Seattle
Police Dept. turned a planned peaceful demonstration into an
anger-driven riot.

18. 10.4 The Police Response
ELEMENTS OF THE POLICE RESPONSE
• PREPAREDNESS
• COMMAND AND COMMUNICATION
• CONTINGENCIES
• RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

19. 10.4 The Police Response
ELEMENTS OF THE POLICE RESPONSE
• PREPAREDNESS
The less control the police perceive themselves has having, the higher the level of
force they will resort to. Being prepared for all potential outcomes increases their
perceived level of control, and allows them to contain and de-escalate with less
force.
• COMMAND AND COMMUNICATION
All components of the police response must have open lines of communication
and accurate intelligence and information. Commanders must know what’s
going on inside the hot zone in order to make appropriate decisions.
• CONTINGENCIES
The police response must include plans for any eventual outcome. Mass panics
are fluid and unpredictable. As circumstances change, the police must adjust
their tactics in order to avoid exacerbating the situation.

20. 10.4 The Police Response
ELEMENTS OF THE POLICE RESPONSE
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
The rules and guidelines that determine the collective demeanor
the police will take toward the participants in an active or
potential mass panic.
• Anger or Excitement-driven panic: The goal of the police response in
these cases is to make it readily apparent that the cost of participation
will be high. The police proactively address the potential panic with a
strong show of force and quick action to prevent a Schelling incident
from eliciting violent or destructive group behavior.
• Fear or Desperation-driven panic: The police response must be
focused on preventing the level of fear or desperation from rising. They
must respond IN force rather than WITH force. They must be non-
confrontational, and make use of public relations to bring calm.

21. © 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
A mass panic occurs when a group of people begin acting in ways that
can be deadly or destructive, and typically contrary to their own moral
and ethical standards. Individuality is abandoned and a group mentality
takes hold.
There are four types of mass panic; anger-driven, excitement-driven,
desperation-driven, and fear-driven. The specific type will guide the
police response.
The police must be prepared to avoid exacerbating a potential panic
either by their under-response or over-response. The elements of their
response include PREPAREDNESS, COMMAND AND COMMUNICATION,
and CONTIGENCIES.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
10.1
10.2
10.4
“Deindividuation” often facilitates mass panic, as participants set aside
their individual values and systems of control in favor of the values and
goals of the larger group.
10.3

22. © 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you believe the government’s response to the disaster in
New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina was in part
influenced by the demographics of the city at that time? In
other words, was there a racial component?
2. Describe a recent anger or excitement-driven panic that
was reported in the press, and identify the “Schelling
incident” that set off the panic.
3. Discuss “deindividuation,” and describe a time when you
experienced this phenomenon.