Statement of Intent The following briefing contains information on the 'Protest Control Strategy' for the City of London Police. The strategy is developed in collaboration with the Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Kings College London. Situation The situation is a gathering of protesters in front of the house of a controversial politician. The gathering of protesters can escalate into a riot (Potegal & Knutson, 2013). It is recommended that you understand the mechanisms behind a potential escalation, as well as be knowledgeable about appropriate crowd control and negotiation techniques to prevent or de-escalate the situation. How Groups Form There are five stages of small group development (Tuckman and Jensen, 1977) Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayTraining Individuals avoid disputes or conflicts and accept each other and priorities are developed. Protesters can agree on common issues regarding politics. Little is done during this phase beyond orientation, organization, and information gathering. Storming The group begins to address agreed-upon issues and group members begin to question the role of the work the group is doing, but also the roles and responsibilities within the group. Suppression of conflict may occur because of a common goal, but protesters may begin to make themselves heard. Responsibilities and roles are established and the conflict has been addressed. Protestors begin to feel like members of a cohesive and effective group, and a common sense of purpose and identity emerges. Group minding and deindividuation of protesters may occur. Performance Everyone within the group knows and trusts each other, and the protesters have achieved a state of interdependence and flexibility. Not all groups reach this stage. Update The protesters have achieved the completion of their common goal and are dismantling. Upgrading can also occur if a protester loses interest or motivation during the previous stages. Factors Group minding can lead individuals within a group to develop riskier and/or more violent behaviors and is the way of thinking that groups adopt when cohesion seems more important than making the right decision and considering alternatives (Le Bon, 1926). This can happen if the individual undergoes deindividuation, which means that the individual loses the capacity for self-evaluation within a group, as well as the sense of self-awareness and responsibility within a group context such as the demonstration in progress. Deindividuation occurs frequently at both lower and higher scales as a consequence of feeling anonymous and invincible due to the anonymity provided by the group context. Deindividualization does not itself cause bad behavior, but rather paves the way for it to occur. This perceived anonymity can cause people to act in ways they otherwise would not (Festinger, Pepitone, & Newcomb, 1952). Group norms are the norms that dictate the unspoken rules of a group context (Hogg & Reid, 2006). In other words, group norms establish new rules regarding social behavior. Although group norms are not explicit rules, the general public abides by these norms both unconsciously and consciously. The group mind and deindividuation of individuals within a demonstration can lead to the emergence of new, more aggressive and/or violent norms. This makes it easier for the individual to take action and 2003).