Vigilantism

From BoyWiki

Vigilantism is self-appointed "policing" and doing of "justice". In the minor-attracted community, the term is especially used for people that practice legal entrapment, out various people as "pedophiles", or try to make people's lives miserable or unbearable.

Vigilante behaviour

"Vigilante justice" is rationalized by the idea that adequate legal mechanisms for criminal punishment are either nonexistent or insufficient. Vigilantes typically see the government as ineffective in enforcing the law; such individuals often claim to justify their actions as a fulfilment of the wishes of the community.

Persons alleged to be escaping the law or above the law are sometimes the victims of vigilantism.[1]

Vigilante behavior involves various degrees of violence. Vigilantes may assault targets verbally, physically, vandalize property, or even kill individuals.

In a number of cases, vigilantism has involved targets with mistaken identities.

  • In Britain in the early 2000s, there were reports of vandalism, assaults, and verbal abuse towards people wrongly accused of being paedophiles, following the murder of Sarah Payne.[2]
  • In Philadelphia in 2009, Michael Zenquis was severely assaulted by a group of locals who mistook him for a rapist on the loose.[3]

See Also

References

External Links

"Vigilantism" (Web archive) (Original Newgon Wiki Article)