ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to explain why patently false stereotypes about gangs are so persuasive in court. Rather than look at demonizing as what “they” do, the chapter examines the social psychological roots of humankind’s “us vs. them” mindset. A few seminal concepts like “prototypes,” “frames,” and “priming” explain how our hard-wired proclivity to think in categories is kindled into a raging fire by prosecutor’s demonizing rhetoric. Finally, the chapter will explain why dehumanizing gang members is psychologically necessary to get juries and judges to hand out long sentences or the death penalty. These ideas will be illustrated with examples from the author’s court cases.
