by Van Canna » Tue Jan 05, 2021 8:40 pm
The Experienced Thug Vs The Wanna Be Tough Guy
Darren laur
Having been in law enforcement for 26 years now, I have seen my share of “unnecessary” bar/street violence in all its forms (usually fueled by alcohol and/or drugs), and I have come to learn that those who are often feared for their brutality (The Experienced Thug) are often easier to talk down without having to resort to physical force than the young university jock who has had too much to drink and who thinks they are invincible (The Wanna Be Tough Guy).
The Experienced Thug understands that violence has several outcomes; possible jail time, severe injury which usually results in a hospital stay and even death. Because of this reality, the truly experienced thug does not usually engage in meaningless violence that is based on the “my dick is bigger than your dick” theory of physical engagement.
The experienced thug usually only resorts to violence when it meets their specific needs and on their terms. To the street thug, violence is “intentional” by design. To them, violence is not a game but rather a means to an end, and this is what makes them so dangerous, but in a way also predictable.
Often when deescalating a situation with the experienced thug , I found that framing the communication around the fact that the possible or likely outcomes will not be congruent with their needs is often enough to calm the situation; especially if you can make them believe that they are standing down on their terms and not yours.
The wanna be tough guy (WBTG) however, is the polar opposite of the the experienced thug. Usually given their younger age, their sense of entitlement and their lack of understanding specific to the real world outcomes of violence, the WBTG resorts to violence not because it is “intentional” by design, but rather a by product of a alcohol and/or drug induced testosterone dump designed to stoke their inflated “ego”.
When the WBTG has made a decision to “go” their is often no talking them down or giving them an opportunity to save face, even if the outcome or end game is not in their favor. They become “cognitively stupid” and this is what make them unpredictable and even dangerous if not controlled immediately.
Unlike the experienced thug who will take their lumps and walk away even if they lost the fight, the WBTG, even though they initiated the violence, will often cry “victim” if they loose and turn to the legal system to seek retribution and compensation from their intended target.
I have found that communication often was not sufficient in talking these guys down. Communication combined with overwhelming force presence in the form of backup (numbers) was what was needed.
Even then however, the WBTG sense of physical superiority often clouded their rational judgment, because they were cognitively stupid, causing them to go physical even when the odds were clearly not in their favor ,even though you were providing them with an out, and this is what makes these beasts dangerous.
Know thy enemy
Darren Laur
Van