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Home > Vol 12, No 1 (2019) >	Durairaja
Psychological and Criminogenic Factors Underlying Gangsterism Among Indians in Malaysia From the Perspective of Ex-Gangsters and Police Personnel
Shankar Durairajaa, Geshina Ayu Mat Saat*a, Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddinb
[a] Forensic Science Programme, School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. [b] Psychology and Human Well-being Research Centre, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
In recent years, gangsterism and gang related activities among Indians are perplexing and alarming. Although this issue is considered as an old phenomenon, researches related to underlying factors for gangsterism are still lacking. With this in mind, this study aimed to explore psychological and criminogenic factors behind gangsterism among Indians in Malaysia. This study utilized a non-experimental research design. This study is a qualitative research (semi-structured, face-to-face individual interview guide) that makes use of the inductive approach based on a combination of subjectivism and interpretivist philosophies. Six ex-gangsters and four police personnel were interviewed; and their experiences of gangsterism were used to gain a reality-based understanding regarding the factors underlying gangsterism. The thematic analyses generated three psychological factors (negative emotional responses, low self-control, and high impulsivity) and three criminogenic factors (substance abuse, having antisocial peers, and dysfunctional families). One new theme emerged: monetary gain, with three sub-themes (ease of obtaining money, amount and immediacy, and benefits derived from illegal monetary gains). The outcome of this explorative research provides insight to the growing body of knowledge on gangsterism in Malaysia and is useful for community leaders and law enforcement agencies to strategize appropriate intervention, prevention, and suppression efforts to combat gangsterism.
Keywords: criminogenic factors, ex-gangsters, gangsterism, police personnel, psychological factors, thematic analysis
Psychological and Criminogenic Factors Underlying Gangsterism
(Introduction)
Research Instrument and Analyses
Psychological Factors
Criminogenic Factors
Emerged Factor
Reality of Gangsterism in Malaysia
(Additional Information)
Received: 2018-09-25. Accepted: 2019-02-08. Published (VoR): 2019-04-30.
Handling Editors: Marius Drugas, University of Oradea, Romania; Stanislava Stoyanova, South-West University "Neofit Rilski", Bulgaria
*Corresponding author at: Geshina Ayu Mat Saat, Forensic Science Programme, School of Health Sciences, USM Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia. E-mail: geshina@usm.my
Gangsterism was not considered as a common issue in Malaysia until recently. The re-emergence of gang-related activities by violent gangs since 2013 (Ahmad Zahid, 2014), for example gang-motived assassination cases, armed gang robberies, gang fights and drug-related crimes; have prompted increased serious proactive and reactive actions against these illegal gangs. Official news and social media coverage depict that acts of gangsterism in Malaysia are more prolific and more violent than before; appearing to be particularly worrisome among Indian youths.
There is no agreed definition of 'gangs' or 'gangsterism'. In general, gangsterism can be defined as a violent phenomenon involved by a group of people whose main reason for existence is to commit criminal acts and violent acts (MacMaster, 2010). The criminal acts or illegal acts include: armed robbery, street fight, gang fight, theft, vehicle theft, extortion, drugs related crimes, secret society dealings, illegal security services, kidnapping, murder, brothel, hijacking, illegal money laundering, and smuggling. Gangsterism can lead to some serious negative impacts (e.g severe trauma, loss of lives, loss of property, and mugged many young people of an opportunity to develop their talent) on young people, children, as well as on whole communities which can erode the well-being of a nation (De Wet, 2016; Maphalala & Mabunda 2014; Naidoo & Naidoo, 2016; Pitso et al., 2014).
Authors and agencies differ in the way gangs are classified. According to Taylor (1990), gangs can be categorised into three main categories based on distinguishing characteristics. The first category is corporate gangs, focusing on making money (Taylor, 1990). The criminal activities committed by members are only for illegal personal or group profit. The second category is territorial gangs. Such gangs concentrate on possessing territory where the members use violence to control, secure or protect their gang's possessions (Taylor, 1990). Members commonly refer to their gangs as brotherhoods, sharing similar sociodemography backgrounds and interests. The third category is scavenger gangs, which have very minimal organizational structure. Typically, the motivation of an individual to join this gang is because of their own personal needs (Taylor, 1990). Members are prone to violent and erratic behaviors (Taylor, 1990).
Klein (2001) provided a five-point typology of Street Gangs (Pitts, 2007). The five types are: traditional, neotraditional, compressed, collective, and specialty (Pitts, 2007). More recently in 2007, the Organization of American States (OAS) reported a useful typology of gangs that include five categories of gangs (Jones, 2013). The five categories of the gangs are scavenger, transgressor or youth, violent, criminal, and female (Jones, 2013). However, for the purpose of this paper, the classification by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) is used. Based on subsection 5(1) of the Societies Act 1966, the RMP classify gangs into three categories with specific criteria (Ministry of Home Affairs, 2013). The three categories are thugs, secret societies, and triads.
According to the RMP (Ministry of Home Affairs, 2013), the following are some of the characteristics of thug groups: small groups which are not organized, do not have any documented rules, and have a loose leadership. Thugs may group together to create nuisance or commit crimes which are often violent in nature. These groups can become big and transform into organized gangs if no preventive actions are taken. The second category is secret societies. The RMP (Ministry of Home Affairs, 2013), includes the following when determining a gang as being a secret society: secret societies have subscription fees, and are more organized, but do not practice triad traditions or rituals. Members of these groups are usually young people. Crime activities engaged by these gangs are visible, identifiable, and violent. What clearly differentiates thug groups from secret societies is that secret societies may form branches or sub-groups, that are expected to merge as necessary with the "parent body".
The last category is triads. According to the RMP (Ministry of Home Affairs, 2013), triads are well organized groups and have specific rules, regulations, and punishments. These groups carry out initiation ceremonies with oath-takings to recruit full-fledged members. Triads have their own emblems, secret signs, codes and subscription fees. Triads have their own hierarchy systems. These characteristics clearly differentiate it from thug groups and secret societies.
Data obtained from the RMP indicated that around 15% of juvenile delinquents were Indians (Yahya & Kaur, 2010). A report by Nizarazu (2013), provided some evidence that the Indian community have the highest rate of gangsterism compared to other ethnicities in Malaysia. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (2017), 49 gangs have been identified as threatening public safety, and around 71.75% of the indentified gangsters are Indians. Muhammad Amin, Mohammad Rahim, and Geshina Ayu (2014) and Surendra (2014) found that about 40% of serious crimes i.e. violent crimes in Malaysia were committed by Indians.
The above figures are relevant as Malaysia is home to around 1,988,000 people of Indian origin (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2017). This has lead to a worrying problem among the Indian community because many of their youths appear to be following the wrong path that can negatively impact their social and economic status. These figures suggest that there is a need to study the phenomena of gangsterism among Malaysian Indians.
Furthermore, the nation was shocked and perplexed with public nuisance activities carried out by Indian students who have been recognized as newly recruited gang members of several Indian gangs as these activities were reported in main stream media and the video of these activities were viral in social media (Mohd, 2017; Zack, 2017). Several notable public nuisance activities carried out by the Indian students were: cutting cakes that symbolizes their respective gang's number, blocking roads and traffic, playing firecrackers on the road, and other aggressive acts with motorcycles; to gain attention from the public (Mohd, 2017; Zack, 2017).
Having said that, it appears that gangsterism have penetrated among Indian students as their recruitment into gangs are actively carried out by the respective gang members. These nuisance acts received acute attention of public and community leaders as these acts were carried out in public areas and to be more precise, just right in front of the students' school compound. It is therefore imperative to formulate effective strategies to curb these activities as these may harm the public and have the potential to erode the image and well-being of Indian society. To that end, this paper focuses on the psychological and criminogenic factors underlying gangsterism among Indians in Malaysia.
Method [TOP]
Study Design and Participants [TOP]
The research design that was used in this study was a non-experimental research design. It is a qualitative research that makes use of the inductive approach by employing an in-depth interview method. Six ex-gangsters and four police personnel were interviewed and their experiences of gangsterism were used to gain a reality-based understanding regarding the factors underlying gangsterism.
Ethical approval to conduct this study was applied through Jawatankuasa Etika Penyelidikan Manusia Universiti Sains Malaysia (JEPeM). The study protocol code for this study is USM/JEPeM 16120580. This was in order to conduct this research ethically where the rights of participants are safeguarded, researcher's safety is considered, and that this study follows Universiti Sains Malaysia codes of ethical conduct.
The study location for this research was largely dependent on the participants' residence and availability. The first group of the sample who are ex-gangsters; were approached once they were identified via members of the neighborhood, friends, and several non-government organizations. The contact details of ex-gangsters were gathered. Twenty potential research participants were approached one by one through a phone call, Facebook or WhatsApp. After potential research participants agreed for an interview session, a suitable date, time and place were arranged to carry out the interview session. The final number of ex-gangsters who completed the interviews were six men and the rest did not agree to participate.
The second group of the sample in this research was Police officers. Police personnel were approached through the RMP. Details of police officers who were suitable or qualified (vast experience in handling gangsterism related cases) for this study were given by Unit D7A (Secret Society), Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of RMP. Then, they were approached through a phone call or WhatsApp. The interview session was fixed based on their availability and willingness to share their experiences. Four police personnel finally agreed to participate. As such, the sample for this study was purposive in nature and not in a random manner.
Participation was on a voluntary basis and did not involve any monetary benefits. A Participation Information Sheet and Participant Consent Form was provided to potential participants so that they were aware of their rights and what their involvement in the study would entail. Their identity and responses were portrayed as anonymous and kept secret in order to encourage the integrity of responses. Participants were informed regarding the disposal of the given information at the end of the interviews.
The confidentiality of information was maintained throughout the study through the use of codes and restricted access. A written agreement was signed by the researcher to state that the researcher promises not to share the identities of the participants to any party. Participants were allowed to withdraw their participation at any time during the collection of data. Potential participants who agreed to participate signed a Participant Consent Form prior to the interviews. The entire in-depth interview sessions were audio recorded using a recorder device. The interview sessions were facilitated and more information were microscopically explored by using qualitative probing techniques.
Research Instrument and Analyses [TOP]
The research instrument used in this qualitative research was an open-ended, face-to-face individual interview guide. The interview guides for both groups of participants differ slightly in terms of their involvement in gangster-related activities. The interview guide for ex-gangsters was labeled as IG-XG and the interview guide for police personnel was labeled as IG-P. The questions were developed based on the researchers' experiences as well as previous relevant literature regarding gangsterism. All the questions were content validated and endorsed by two subject matter experts. Table 1 below depicts the themes and sub-themes explored as they relate to psychological and criminogenic factors. Emerged themes and sub-themes were generated from the raw transcripts. N-Vivo 10.0 was used to organize, code, and extract relevant information from the qualitative data.
Psychological and Criminogenic Themes Underlying Gangsterism
Main themes / Emerged sub-themes
Negative emotional responses
Low self-control
High impulsivity
Having antisocial peers
Monetary gain (Emerged factors)
Amount and immediacy
Benefits derived from illegal
Monetary gains
All the themes and sub-themes were identified and analyzed by using thematic analyses. According to Braun and Clarke (2006) thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analyzing and reporting themes within data. This method can also be utilized to link the various concepts and opinions of the participants (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Aronson (1995) highlighted the important steps in the thematic analysis to identify, analyze, and report the themes within data.
According to Aronson (1995), the primary step is to collect the data from the interview sessions. The second step is to identify data that relate to the already classified themes. Next step is related patterns will be combined and categorized into sub-themes. The final step is to develop a valid argument for selecting the themes and develop a storyline after the completion of the themes and review of the literature.
Results and Discussion [TOP]
Psychological Factors [TOP]
Many researchers found that psychological characteristics are powerful elements in gang membership (Alleyne & Wood 2010). According to the Interactional Theory (Thornberry, Krohn, Lizotte, Smith, & Tobin, 2003), psychological factors such as aggression, low self-control, and high impulsivity are salient psychology triggers that are linked to gang membership. This current study provides some support for Thornberry et al.'s (2003) claims. Psychological factors are not only linked to gang membership but also strongly linked with criminal behavior. A review paper by Mohammad Rahim, Nadiah Syariani, Azizah, Khaidzir, and Geshina Ayu (2015a) asserted the strong relationships between psychological factors and criminal behavior as the negative psychological factors are viewed as basic ingredients of crime and criminal behavior. Three psychological factors were derived from participant responses: negative emotional responses, low self-control, and high impulsivity.
Psychological Factor: Negative Emotional Responses [TOP]
Positive emotions and negative emotions are the groups of emotions that can be categorized from our human emotions. Emotional conditions are the results that human beings face during various situations such as dispositions, interpersonal relations or interactions with other things (Tangney, Stuewig, & Mashek, 2007); that they come across in daily environments. Daily activities and situations can induce negative emotions such as frustration, anger, disbelief, sadness, or fear.
Negative emotional responses were expressed by most of the ex-gangsters when describing the actions of gangsters. One of the prominent negative emotional response that was shown by the ex-gangsters was aggression. According to Baron and Richardson (1994), aggression is defined as behavior that is intended to cause harm to another individual. Aggression has been linked to various factors such as instinct (Munsaka, 2014), hormonal imbalance such as high levels of testosterone and low levels of neurotransmitters (Dabbs, Riad, & Chance, 2001), genetic factors (Jones & Goldsmith, 2005), blood chemistry, physiological illness and temperament, psychological frustrations, social learning (Anderson & Bushman, 2002), and deindividuation.
According to Mohammad Rahim (2014), studies by Feshbach (1964), Huesmann and Miller (1994), Anderson and Bushman (2002) addressed violence and crime as the product of aggression. Local quantitative studies by Mohammad Rahim et al. (2014a; 2014b; 2015b) and Mohammad Rahim, Azizah, Khaidzir, and Geshina Ayu (2016) revealed that aggression is one of the common psychological traits that is very much prevalent among Malaysian inmates and significantly correlated with other negative psychological variables. Thornberry et al.'s (2003) study asserted that aggression is one of the psychological factors linked to gang membership. The police personnel in this study also stated that gangs and gangsters are aggressive. The ex-gangsters who were interviewed admitted to using physical aggression as a problem-solving technique and as a tool to control and instill fear in others.
"I'll make sure that the particular person won't repeat his mistakes. My best friend and I killed his girlfriend's father because he continuously caused trouble for us… But, later on, I controlled my anger and stopped to use physical aggression to hurt others". (R-XG 4)
Most of the ex-gangsters also agreed that poor anger management led to unwanted outcomes. Some of the ex-gangsters said that they were only able to think clearly and calmly after the incident. Few experienced little or no remorse, for their mistreatment of others.
"I engaged in 'Gang XX' to take revenge on people who robbed me… I wanted to hurt them so that others won't be affected by them…" (R-XG 1).
Psychological Factor: Low Self-Control [TOP]
According to Baumeister, Heatherton, and Tice (1994), self-control describes an individual's capacity to overcome and inhibit socially unacceptable and undesirable impulses. Many studies (e.g., Arneklev, Grasmick, Tittle, & Bursik, 1993; Hay & Forrest, 2008; Payne, Higgins, & Blackwell, 2010; Mohammad Rahim et al., 2014b, 2015b; Wright, Caspi, Moffitt, & Silva, 1999) claimed that low self-control is a consistent, potential, and prominent trigger for both criminal and violent behaviors. Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) suggested that individuals lacking in self-control exhibit signs of risk-taking, adventurous, short-sightedness, impulsiveness, and are insensitive to others.
The ex-gangsters in this study demonstrated themselves as individuals with low self-control. This current study found that individuals with low self-control are not only prone to gang membership, but they also engage in various criminal activities. This finding supports the assertion made by Alleyne and Wood (2010) and Thornberry et al. (2003), in which low self-control is one of the psychological factors that are linked with gang membership.
Some of the ex-gangsters who were interviewed mentioned that they took several years to leave the gang because they were too attached to the gang and gang members. They also mentioned that because of their poor self-control, they continuously got involved in gang-related activities so that they can earn illegal money. Ex-gangsters admitted to having difficulties in controlling aggressive behaviors. Episodes of unpredictable physical aggression previously shown by ex-gangsters made people around them feel scared and in distress. This was perceived as a way to show power and control people.
"Before I spent my eight years in prison, I found it more difficult to control my anger and actions… I didn't talk too much… I hit them straight away without asking their problems… If they never realised their problems, I continued to hurt them". (R-XG 3)
"Majortiy of the gangsters are not capable of controlling themselves. They are the individuals who have low self control, easily engage in various crime activities without thinking the consequences.." (R-XG4)
Psychological Factor: High Impulsivity [TOP]
The third psychological factor is high impulsivity. According to Hinslie and Shatzky (1940), impulsivity is defined as the lack of ability to clearly think out one's actions before performing them. Impulsivity can be further explained as the actions that are poorly conceived, prematurely expressed, unduly risky, or inappropriate to the situation and that often result in undesirable behaviors (Evenden, 1999). High-impulsivity can prevent someone from conforming to social norms and laws, can lead them to show a reckless disregard for others' safety, and experience little or no remorse for their mistreatment of others to gain immediate gratification (Shankar, 2017).
During the interviews, the ex-gangsters portrayed themselves as individuals who carried out actions without thinking about the consequences. Some ex-gangsters admitted that high-impulsivity made them fail to conform to social norms and laws, and showed a reckless disregard for others' safety.
"I was involved in drug distribution under Gang XX when I was in Form 3, where I never thought that I could be arrested by police… I did not bother about the consequences of distributing drugs. At that moment, the pleasure and rewards seemed to be more important for me but I regretted my action when I got caught for the first time by Royal Malaysia Police" (R-XG 6).
"During school days, I knew that being engaged in gangs is illegal but I actively participated in gang-related activities such as extortion, gang fight, and secret dealing without any regret because I enjoyed that" (R-XG 5).
Past researchers claimed that impulsivity has been linked to substance abuse/dependence and suicide (Zimmerman, 2010), delinquency in childhood and adulthood (Farrington, Loeber, & Van Kammen, 1990), as well as anger (Shorey, Brasfield, Febres, & Stuart, 2011), aggressiveness (McGirr & Turecki, 2007), and violence (Scarpa & Raine, 2000) and murder (Mohammad Rahim et al., 2014c). Eysenck's (1979) personality theory relates impulsivity to offending through conditionability. Zimmerman (2010), asserted that children and young adolescents failed to associate antisocial behaviors with pain and fear arousal because of the poor conditionability, along with sociability (extroversion), neuroticism, and psychoticism.
Criminogenic Factors [TOP]
In general, criminogenic factors can be viewed as main changeable risk factors for criminal behavior that do not include symptoms of mental illnesses which can predict various measures of recidivism (Prins, Skeem, Mauro, & Link, 2015). The available literature indicates that criminogenic factors also play a significant role in gang membership and gangster-related activities (Laws, 2016; Snacken, Bauwens, Van Zyl Smit, Tournel, & Machiels, 2013; Wood, 2014). Wood (2014) in particular, suggested that compliance to group norms may cultivate gang members' social cognitions such as moral disengagement and cognitions in support of offensive behaviors. The criminogenic factors that were explored in this current study were substance abuse, having antisocial peers, and dysfunctional families.
Criminogenic Factor: Substance Abuse [TOP]
Substance abuse refers to the "harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs" (World Health Organization, 2017). Sanders (2012) and Coffman, Melde, and Esbensen (2015), found that gang membership is an indicator of chronic substance use. In addition, Decker (2000), Mouttapa et al. (2010), and Chetty (2017), reported that substance use in the form of alcohol, drugs, or both, is prolific in youth gangs. As such, there appears to be a relationship between substance use and gang membership, whereby due to gang membership, an individual is at higher risk of getting involved in the consumption of illegal substances, or that consumption of illegal substance leads an individual to join a gang in order to be with other individuals sharing similar behaviors and interests.
In this current study, alcohol and drugs are the substance abuses that were identified among the ex-gangsters. This study also discovered that initially the Indian gang members used marijuana, but now they use other drugs, especially heroin and methamphetamine. The change from marijuana to heroin and methamphetamine is due to several reasons. The first reason is the availability of different kinds of methamphetamine in the drugs market. According to ex-gangsters, gangsters can easily obtain different kinds of methamphetamine via various channels, forms, and amount.
As for the second reason, the interviewed ex-gangsters mentioned that current laws cannot control the illegal drug business in Malaysia as newer and unlisted drugs i.e. new psychoactive substances, are produced at a rapid rate. Examples of such laws include the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (DDA) (Act 234), Penal Code (Act 574), and the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) (Act 297). Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) of RMP, and the establishment of Special Tactics and Intelligence Narcotics Group (STING) under the command of NCID, carry out frequent operations and raids, yet the production and usage of illegal drugs continue unabated.
"Indians started to involve in this illegal drug business since 1987 when the Indian gangs were well established in this country… They started to add adulterants in drugs to gain more profit… Last time, they sold heroin, now they are selling methamphetamine drugs…Even though RMP is taking maximum initiatives to curb the drug business in Malaysia but for us, nothing has changed…" (R-XG 6)
As for the third reason, the number of drug offences and drug-related offences are varied and appear to be increasing annually, to the extent that most crimes are drug-related (narcotic-related crimes). For example, robbery and drug consumption, murder and drug distribution, and vehicle theft and drug distribution. Previous criminal actions by the ex-gangsters provide support for the combination of crimes committed in concert or sequentially.
An interesting finding in this current study was that most of the ex-gangsters who consumed the illicit substance admitted that the onset as being during early adolescence or early adulthood. Most of them mentioned that they started to consume alcohol because of their friends' influence. Friendship made them consume alcohol for the first time, then they continued consuming alcohol for fun or to maintain friendships, but at the end, they became addicted to alcohol.
Another finding related to this theme of substance abuse was when drugs, alcohol or both, were consumed. Some of the ex-gangsters claimed that they were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs during the commission of violent acts, for example in the process of grievously harming someone. The inputs from the ex-gangsters indicated a strong link between alcohol use and violence. Alcohol consumption has been found to be an important ingredient, as well as a triggering factor in violent incidents (Room & Rossow, 2001) because of its dis-inhibiting effects which have the possible chance to change the individuals' perception of risk (Bushman, 1997). Example responses from two ex-gangsters support this assertion.
"If I did not take alcohol on that day I would not act in that way (murder). Not only me but many gangsters will consume alcohol before engaging in the gang fight, street fight, robbery, and murder. The gangsters believe that alcohol can give them unlimited strength and can boost their braveness" (R-XG 4).
"Before involved in any street and gang fights, I took marijuana so that I can act violently without thinking. It makes me braver" (R-XG 1).
Criminogenic Factor: Having Antisocial Peers [TOP]
In this current study, it was found that amongst the ex-gangsters, having antisocial peers was influential towards crime and gang participation. The ex-gangsters reported having a close attachment with antisocial peers whom they befriended since childhood. Their closeness with the antisocial peers provided the environment where they shared the same values, beliefs, motives, attitudes, and interests; that encouraged them to get involved in gangs and crimes. This suggests that the adolescents' gang membership and delinquency rely on the number of antisocial peers, the closeness of the relationship, and frequency of time spent together with antisocial peers.
"All my friends are gangsters… I knew them since Form 1… Most of them are still active in gangs and involved in gang-related crime activities... even some of them were arrested by police several times" (R-XG 2).
"I have a best friend… We were friends from secondary school… We did almost everything together… He was the one who got involved in gang activities and because of him only I indirectly involved in a murder case..." (R XG- 3).
Police personnel in this study claimed that nowadays teenagers spend more time with their antisocial friends than with their parents or other influential adults causing disengagement with their parents and family members. Several kinds of literature debated on the mechanism of antisocial peers in gang membership. According to Gilman, Hill, Hawkins, Howell, and Kosterman (2014), and Wortham (2015), peer pressure by antisocial peers can influence the teenagers to do things they would not normally do, most of which are negative such as having sex at the early age, drinking alcohol, smoking, and drug abuse. Young, Fitzgibbon, and Silverstone (2013) claimed that peer pressure increased the number of peripheral gang activities, which could then develop into more significant gang membership. Two police personnel describe this criminogenic factor as follows:
"If their friends are good and educated it's not a big problem… but if they have delinquent friends… especially gang members … then it's a risky situation for them…" (R-P1).
"Usually delinquent friends use various methods to influence their friends… They usually convince, give fake promises, and cheat them in many ways so that their friends will join their activities and gang… Some of them asked their friends to involve in their gang so that they can maintain their brotherhood relationship and spend time together" (R-P2).
The present findings add to the current knowledge by articulating commitment and interaction with negative peers, as well as avoiding contact with positive peers; as predictors of gang involvement (Klemp-North, 2007). Previous findings (Sharp, Aldridge, & Medina, 2006; Thornberry et al., 2003) based on the Interactional Theory, also support the current finding which reaffirm antisocial peers and pressure from these peers increases the likelihood of gang membership.
Criminogenic Factor: Dysfunctional Families [TOP]
Next, most of the police personnel strongly felt that family dysfunction plays a big role in facilitating gang membership. Families experiencing multiple difficulties such as economic deprivation, family separation, bereavement, domestic violence, imprisonment, and alcohol and substance misuse; appear to contribute to an individual's negative, harmful ways of thinking and acting. According to McNeil, Herschberger, and Nedela (2013), and Gilman et al. (2014), youths may join gangs because of its supportive features that youths cannot obtain in their own families. In some instances, older male family members were the catalyst for youths to join gangs (Robb, Featherstone, Ruxton, & Ward, 2017).
"Family environment is really important… Most of the gangsters are from broken families… Individuals who are from broken families usually won't have a good relationship and attachment with their family members… Problems in a family can cause that person to be stressed and depressed. In addition, if an individual observed violence in his/her family that particular person can be violent too and involved in the gangs to show their anger and stress" (R-P1).
"I have an uncle who was a member of gang XX… He was the one who asked me to sell the drugs to my friends… After two weeks he asked me to join his gang and gave me a good position in that gang" (R-XG 6).
Research on the relationship between familial problems and juvenile delinquency, including gang membership, is not new. Hirschi (1969) for example found that family dysfunction may weaken attachment to the family, and subsequently, young people are more likely to deviate and become involved in crime. According to Tapia-Conyer, Cravioto, Rosa, and Velez (1995), dysfunctional family background and abusive parents were risk factors that increased the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. Hill, Howell, Hawkins, and Battin-Pearson (1999) provided some evidence that negative or problematic family structures predicted gang membership, especially parental favourable attitudes towards violence. Therefore, dysfunctional family circumstances or relationships may increase the vulnerability of young family members to develop friendships with delinquent or antisocial peers.
Emerged Factor [TOP]
Other than the above identified factors, a new emerged factor underlying gangsterism was derived from participants' responses. The emerged factor pertained to obtaining monetary gain. This is discussed under the following: ease of obtaining money, amount and immediacy, and benefits derived from illegal monetary gains.
Emerged Factor: Amount and Immediacy of Monetary Gain [TOP]
According to the majority of participants, monetary gain from gang-related activities is high and immediate with minimal effort. Monetary gain appears to be related to financial difficulties, rather than greed. Most of them mentioned that Indians who get involved in gangs are individuals experiencing financial difficulties due to circumstances and lack of better opportunities. As mentioned by Jayasooria and Nathan (2016), financial difficulties due to circumstances and lack of better opportunities resulted in undesirable social consequences including a gravitation towards crime and gangsterism.
Jayasooria and Nathan (2016) stated that initially, the Indian community stayed in estates or plantations. Over time, the Indians migrated from estates to urban squatters or flats. This was largely due to displacement from plantation employment. Indians lived in poverty when they were in estates, but at least they had jobs with monthly salaries. After Indians migrated to urban areas, they lost their meager job and continued to live in poverty. This displacement caused the breakdown of social controls and the social support system (Sidhu, 2005).
The living expenses in cities are also very high compared to their previous places and the Indian people found less opportunities to gain legal employment (Jayasooria & Nathan, 2016) that paid well and was constant due to their different existing skill set. Subsequently, Indians engaged in gangs and gang-related activities to earn money to save their family from poverty. Membership in gangs were sustained so that they can earn more and consistently.
"… they involve in illegal activities to earn a large amount of money…A group of drug dealers can earn more than a hundred thousand ringgit per day" (R-P2).
"Most of the time I regret it and wanted to stop but it is very hard to stop…This is because I earn a lot in this business and I have nothing to lose" (R-XG 6).
Emerged Factor: Benefits Derived From Illegal Monetary Gains [TOP]
With regards to monetary gain, the police personnel who were interviewed claimed that they came across gangsters who had been arrested several times for similar offenses. According to the police personnel, gangsters persist in their activities to gain illegal profits as they want to continue their luxurious lifestyles. There is some support of this in the available literature. For example, Howell and Egley (2005), and Mitchell and Pyrooz (2016) found that perceived benefits are a strong predictor for gang membership.
In addition, according to the ex-gangsters, certain gangs provide good offers to their members. They let their members conduct businesses under their name, give them shares from extortion money, and give salary, car, and motorcycle to their members. Based on such benefits, people are likely to continue being part of the gang, even when they knew that being a member of a gang despite non-involvement in illegal activities, is still considered as an offense in Malaysia. The benefits outweigh the punishment – which may or may not happen later.
"I almost earned minimum RM5000 per month from selling drugs… This job offered larger benefits effortlessly… That is the reason why I am so into this gang activities" (R-XG 6).
"Monthly…my boss will give share from the extortion money that I collected… I earned RM5000…My work was so simple… I only need to collect protection money from the shops, stalls and other business places…". (R-XG 2)
According to the ex-gangsters who were interviewed in this current study, gang members are hesitant to exit their gangs because they will not be able to sustain the benefits derived from illegal monetary gains. These benefits include better homes and belongings, access to public and private healthcare services, options for private education, and collection of personal and collective wealth. In other words, with the changes in lifestyle that a higher 'income' brings, including exiting poverty and having better life opportunities for themselves and family members, gangsters choose to continue committing crimes. What this points out to, is that the police personnel's assertion of sustaining better lifestyles is supported by the personal admissions of ex-gangsters.
Reality of Gangsterism in Malaysia [TOP]
Obtaining insights from both lawbreakers and law enforcers would enable a more holistic understanding about gangsterism in Malaysia. This is opposed to the singular group focus of many previous studies and can fill some of the gaps in knowledge. Gangsterism is still a serious problem in Malaysia. The existence of gangsterism can be observed through various gang-related activities reported in the media and reported to the police.
Most of the participants especially the ex-gangsters, claimed that the status of gangsterism among Indians is still high and has increased compared to previous years. They claimed that the involvement of Indian youths in gangs are very high and they are very violent. These findings may differ from other studies due to unreported cases, youths being under the radar, the reality of being surrounded by other gangsters or staying in pro-gangster areas, or law-breaking classified as another type of crime other than gangster-related.
Nonetheless, RMP continuously plan and enforce many safety prevention measures to control this issue. For example, special operations were carried out in the name of 'Ops Cantas' and 'Ops Cantas Khas' in several states in the past few years. The reasons behind these operations were to reduce the crime rate and gang-related activities. These operations seemed to be successful with the arrest of many gangsters. In 2013, almost 304 gang members were arrested by RMP in 'Ops Cantas' ("Arrests Statistics of Ops Cantas Operation", 2013). As many as 114 triad members have been detained all over the country during Operasi Cantas Khas (Organized Crime) since 2015 (Malaysian Digest, 2017).
In addition, new amendments were made to POCA and SOSMA. Special Task Force For Anti Vice, Gaming, And Gangsterism (STAGG), and Special Task Force On Organized Crime (STAFOC) under the command of CID of RMP to curb gangsterism in Malaysia were established. The police personnel who were interviewed, provided statistics which indicated that the gang-related crimes were annually reducing. In particular, gang robbery with firearms and gang robbery without firearms have shown an annual decline in reported cases since 2010 (Malaysian Administrative Modernization and Management Planning Unit, 2017).
This shows that there is a clear difference in perspective regarding actual crime apprehension and prevention between law enforcers and ex-gangsters. Despite clear evidence, the public still views that gangsterism is getting more serious and even the ex-gangsters themselves were of the opinion that the problem of gangsterism is worsening. To an extent, the public view has shaped the perception that not enough is being done to address public safety.
Conclusion [TOP]
In this study, the psychological and criminogenic themes underlying gangsterism were explored. The explorations of themes were from interviews of police personnel with experience in handling gang-related crime and criminals, and from the experience of ex-gangsters. Three sub-themes each were generated for each main theme.
The psychological factors that were identified from the study are negative emotional responses, low self-control, and high impulsivity, and aggression. Criminogenic factors that were determined are substance abuse, dysfunctional families, and antisocial peers. A newly emerged theme was derived from the raw transcripts, that being monetary gain.
The exploration of these themes are valuable in several ways. Findings herein may create a better and reality-based understanding of profiles of Indian gangsters. The identified factors from this study can help society to realize the reasons behind the occurrence of gangsterism among the Indian community. This can be used to develop a better and suitable mentoring strategy, family therapy, group therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, school-based anti-gang curriculum, and gang awareness education modules.
More research needs to be conducted in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the psychological and criminogenic factors that underlie gang membership. For one, a larger sample population may yield more concrete findings. Secondly, there is a need to explore other factors beyond what was generated in this qualitative study, for example, predispositions and traits that are pro-gangsterism, and social relationships or environments and rewarding mechanisms that sustain gangster cultures in neighborhoods or hotspots.
Funding [TOP]
The authors have no funding to report.
Competing Interests [TOP]
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Acknowledgments [TOP]
The authors would like to express their greatest gratitude to Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Royal Malaysia Police for supporting this study. The authors also thank Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Abd Halim bin Bulat, Dean of School of Investigation and Prosecution, Royal Malaysia Police College Kuala Lumpur, Inspector (Insp) Karunagran Nair Sevasingaram from Unit D7A (Secret Society), Criminal Investigation Division, Bukit Aman, and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rajendran Kanyiah from Unit D7A (Secret Society), Criminal Investigation Division, Selangor for their help, support and guidance throughout this research.
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About the Authors [TOP]
Shankar Durairaja holds a BSc (Hons) (Forensic Science) from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Currently, he is doing MSc (Forensic Science) (Criminology) at USM. He has done his undergraduate research on gangsterism issue in Malaysia. His research and publication interests include criminology, crime prevention, and forensic psychology.
Geshina Ayu Mat Saat is a senior lecturer at the Forensic Science Programme, Universiti Sains Malaysia. She has a PhD & MSc in Criminology, and a BHSc in psychology. Her expertise includes criminology, victimology, penology, profiling, counter-extremism, psychometrics, and trauma psychology.
Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin is a senior lecturer at Psychology and Human Well Being Research Centre, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He has obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology from USM. His expertise includes criminology, murder, psychometrics, and profiling.


text:
Erica Wright
poet & novelist
Editing & Coaching
Erica Wright's essay collection Snake was recently released as part of Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series. Her latest crime novel Famous in Cedarville received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. She is the author of three previous novels including The Red Chameleon, which was one of O, The Oprah Magazine's Best Books of Summer 2014. Her poetry collections are Instructions for Killing the Jackal and All the Bayou Stories End with Drowned. Her poems have appeared in Blackbird, Crazyhorse, Denver Quarterly, New Orleans Review, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She was the senior poetry editor at Guernica Magazine for more than a decade. Currently, she teaches at Bellevue University and runs her own novel writing group. She lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with her family.
"...a clever little whodunnit."—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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UPDATE: At least 109 arrested as cops crack down on illegal street racing
Jim Holt
Signal File Photo.
In a fast and furious effort to rid the Santa Clarita Valley of illegal street racing, local sheriff's deputies and CHP officers arrested at least 109 people at an illegal street racing event in the Valencia Commerce Center in Castaic Thursday night.
A total of 102 arrests were made for participating or simply watching the illegal speed event, California Highway Patrol Captain Edward Krusey told The Signal Friday.
Seven people were arrested for organizing the illegal event or driving in it.
"A couple of times I almost had to close my eyes," Krusey said, referring to those moments in the event when spinning cars came close to hitting spectators.
Of the seven arrested for active participation, they were physically booked at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station and their vehicles towed, Krusey said.
Captain Robert Lewis of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station told The Signal the "operation" was a collaborative one.
"We were working together to address this problem," he said Friday, noting the operation was the latest in a series of targeted moves he's come to characterize as "suppression patrols."
Two of the young men – one from Canyon Country, the other from Castaic – arrested by Officers of the California Highway Patrol late Thursday night around 11 p.m., were arrested on a single misdemeanor charge of taking part in an illegal speed race.
Arrested were Jason Leyva, 19, of Canyon Country, and Redwin Padua, 21, of Castaic.
Each suspect had bail set at $10,000.
At least 102 spectators were cited for watching the event and were released at the scene.
"It isn't just the reckless driving or racing that is illegal as the onlookers discovered," he said. "A momentary loss of control which can happen all too easily can have devastating consequences for both the divers and spectators."
The joint forces effort – dubbed the Illegal Street Racing Operation – was carried out by local sheriff's deputies and CHP officers as part of a countywide crackdown on illegal street racing, Krusey said.
Local law enforcement, together with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, set out to shut down what has become known on the streets as a "Sideshow."
Joint forces participants, acting on intelligence gathered, carried out their operation at the industrial park in Castaic, a location bustling with people during the day but left to become a "ghost town" at night.
The long wide asphalt streets attract street racers to perform "burnouts," "donuts" and "drifting," CHP officers said, all of which are illegal.
"Through intelligence, we believed it would occur that night," Krusey said about Thursday night's operation. "It has definitely been a problem."
on Twitter @jamesarthurholt


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Big changes at Extéria Racing Team
Valérie Moreno2019-02-04T13:36:38+01:00February 4th, 2019|2018-2019, 24 Heures Motos 2019|
Extéria Racing Team are going into 2019 with new riders and a new machine. Niccolò Rosso, Andrea Boscoscuro and Martin Choy will hit the track at the 24 Heures Motos on a Suzuki GSX-R 1000, with the Superstock podium in their sights.
2019 is a year of big changes for Extéria Racing Team. The Czech team have recruited an all-new line-up to continue the 2018-2019 season: Niccolò Rosso, Andrea Boscoscuro and Martin Choy.
Italian riders Niccolò Rosso and Andrea Boscoscuro got themselves noticed in 2017 with No Limits Motor Team, the 6th-place finisher in the Superstock World Cup.
After riding for Mercury Racing, the FIM EWC's other Czech team, Bulgarian racer Martin Choy wound up last season with Extéria Racing Team, who placed 13th in the Superstock World Cup rankings.
Forced to withdraw from the Bol d'Or at the start of the season, Extéria Racing Team has also decided to switch manufacturers and will line up on the grid at the 24 Heures Motos in April flying the Suzuki colours.
Extéria Racing Team, who made their Endurance debut at the 2017 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring, are targeting the Superstock podium at Le Mans.
More info about Extéria Racing Team: https://www.fimewc.com/team/exteria-racing-team/


Train Science – Download FREE Printable Reading Comprehension Science Worksheets for Kids. Our word search puzzle sheet on trains is great for Primary school kids in Grades 1-5. Primary & Grammar school kids can enjoy this fun word searches game as a reading comprehension activity.
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"Good Love" is often a disco-infused track featuring horns and a cameo by recording artist T. I. it is great fun all during through. "I Feel Good" is an attractive tune reflecting Mary's contented state of mind these days. Also, a respectable mention dissapear to Lindsay Lohan who made her first post-prison television appearance when she gave host comedienne Chelsea Handler a little gem Drake & Migos Concert before moving on stage: "Do you think anyone wants to work using a drunk? Go from me, they do not. " Well, at least, Li-Lo can admit that she gets a drinking problem. The 16-year-Bieber had a successful year close to the charts with hits like "Baby" and "Eenie Meenie. " He performed at the nomination special last night and will most likely be extended an invitation to perform at the 53rd Annual Grammy broadcast on February 13 too. Last year, he served as a presenter in the ceremony with Ke$ha, whom he outperform for a Best New Artist nod this year or so. Let's just hope that the web doesn't cry "Wolf!" one day whenever it really is there; a lot of fans will turn out to be confused, angry, and hurt when they realize that what ever they thought was an additional rumor has gotten true. Bieber With 2 Grammy Nominations On Monday,CaroWozniacki tweeted a photo of herself signing autographs inCincinnati, where the tennis world has gathered this week for the Western & Southern Start. More information about Drake Migos The Aubrey And The Three Migos Tour Dates 2018 In Las Vegas Nv.
The Pusha T and Lil Wayne beef is at present one rather talked about subjects in hip hop music. Just yesterday evening, news broke of a totally new Lil Wayne diss track called "Ghoulish" which is aimed directly at can be based rapper, Pusha N. The 16-year-Bieber had an effective year on a charts with hits like "Baby" and "Eenie Meenie. " He performed at the nomination special last night and probably will be extended an invitation to perform at the 53rd Annual Grammy broadcast on February 13 also Drake & Migos . Last year, he served as a presenter at the ceremony with Ke$ha, whom he beat out for a Best New Artist nod this 1 year. "Hey everyone, it's 3 in the morning right here in London, and LL Cool J just Drake & Migos song advised me I'm a Grammy-nominated artist," Bieber says in the clip, sitting calmly on a stool from a green-screen business. The reaction he gave out was clearly showing how happy he was compared for the reply he gave as he was air together with LL Cool J the particular show after the nominees for the right New Artist was announced by Hayley Williams from Paramore. Justin who seem stunned now was lost for words when LL Cool J asked him how he felt. Did you find out? Only 13 artists from 2011 made the 2010 Top 50 with Roger Waters earning the highest rank moving up from fifth spot lately to third in 2012. Download Forever Mp3 Free - Drake Ft Lil Wayne, Kanye West & Eminem Lady Gaga was the big winner at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, October. 12, winning eight Moon Men awards, including video of the majority for "Bad Relationship.
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He also thanked his mentor Usher in his acceptance speech.
The disses to date have been appropriate.
Along with her wins, Lady Gaga's oh-la-la costumes definitely turned heads each and every one time she came on stage.


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EMWD Team Excels in Solar Cup Competition
Post June 15, 2021
Perris, CA (June 15, 2021) — A local high school team sponsored by Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) won a first and third place trophy during the recent Solar Cup competition.
Solar Cup is sponsored by The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and is designed to teach high school students about science, technology, and water conservation as part of its annual program.
The team from West Valley High School in Hemet received the first-place award for the "Onshape Challenge – Lesser Time Commitment Division" where students had to make three-dimensional models. The team also earned third place for the Electronics Challenge, which consisted of basic electronics, circuits, and solar panels.
The pandemic has changed the landscape in education and this year's Solar Cup competition adapted accordingly, with students participating in virtual competitions and racing and maneuvering solar-powered vehicles they constructed throughout the academic year.
The 2021 virtual competition was broader in scope, providing a new set of challenging activities for the 16 teams. Those competitions included robotics, computer-aided design, game development, social media, visual arts and career-building.
Eastern Municipal Water District is the water, wastewater service and recycled water provider to more than 850,000 people living and working within a 555-square mile service area in western Riverside County. It is California's sixth-largest retail water agency, and its mission is "To deliver value to our diverse customers and the communities we serve by providing safe, reliable, economical and environmentally sustainable water, wastewater and recycled water services."
More information can be found at www.emwd.org.


This past weekend, I completed the final section of my backyard edible landscape. The section I completed was the 4th side of my fenced in backyard. I am very excited to be able to expand my garden this year. I will be planting veggies as well as herbs and beneficial bee flowers in this bed.
The final section is my attempt at a hugelculture inspired raised beds. A hugelculture bed for those of you unfamiliar with this term is a bed that is made by burying tree wood in a ditch and then covering the wood with organic material then the original soil you removed to make the ditch.
Back to my project. As I was creating my fourth section, I thought about the other three sections that I have created over the past five years. The first year I removed the lawn and brought in soil from my dad's farm. This was a lot of work. This work took me three or four eight hour days to complete. I was starting to have second thoughts about my plan.
Fortunately I decided to keep going... During the second year I created raised beds out of wood sourced for free with the intent to bring in more dirt from the farm. That year was unfortunately wet and busy so I actually bought soil from the store. I was definitely a rookie but at least I recycled the wood for the raised beds. The raised beds worked well but I have had to add a lot of organic material to get them to produce like they are now.
In year three my knowledge really increased. I learned and applied lasagna gardening techniques that year. My results were great using lasagna gardening but my neighbors were not all that impressed with the way a lasagna garden looked over the fall. I actually was cited that year for an unsightly situation on my property that I had to clean up. I wasn't really happy about that but unfortunately not a lot of people are educated about these types of things. Life goes on.
Year four was when I learned about permaculture. In year four I took a year off of my plan of creating beds along each fence row to create three permaculture beds instead. These beds worked really well for me and really got my mind thinking about how nature works and how I could work with nature instead of spending money on fertilizer/chemicals/irrigation.
Back to 2015 which is my fifth year of the project. The hugel bed I created is from sources directly from my property only. The wood I used was from pruning my fruit trees in February. The organic material was grass/leaves/veggies from the previous year. The compost will come from my own compost pile as well as the mulch I will apply will be grass clippings from my natural lawn. I believe this bed will be the best one yet.
In case you could not tell I am very proud of my growth over the past 5 years. This bed cost me 0 dollars to make compared to the early versions that either required me to purchase soil trucked from somewhere or me driving over 50 miles to bring in dirt. I am all about saving money so this a great thing in my mind.
The bed that held the material from last year about half way through this hugel project.
The original soil replaced grass side down.
Now that my backyard suburban garden is complete I will definitely not be quitting anytime soon. I still have a lot of work to do to incorporate permaculture techniques like swales in to my rookie projects. I have improved those sections quite a bit but want to take them to the next level. I will also be turning my attention to my front and side yards so there will definitely be more work done on my yard in the future. Stay tuned!
If you are interested in learning more about my hugelbed's progress in 2015, click the link below that will allow you to follow me on social media or via email. I look forward to sharing my progress with you.


When setting up accounting integrations, you may need the help of your bookkeeper or accountant.
Debits and Credits are accounting terms used to describe Increases and Decreases to General Ledger Accounts. The General Ledger is the list of accounts used by bookkeepers to keep track of all accounting activity. The General Ledger can differ from one firm to another depending on their needs.


There are no other files named rerun.rnh in the archive.
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^USER RESPONDS WITH <FILE.CKP, WHERE <FILE IS THE NAME OF <COBOL PROGRAM THAT CREATED THE CHECKPOINT FILE.
^USER RESPONDS BY ASSIGNING THE LOGICAL NAME, THEN TYPES <CONTINUE.
5.	^AFTER RELOADING THE <COBOL PROGRAM, <RERUN TURNS CONTROL OVER TO THAT PROGRAM.


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Floor Loudspeaker Reviews
B&W 800 Diamond loudspeaker
Kalman Rubinson | May 9, 2011
As B&W's 800 Series has evolved, Stereophile has reported on its progress. Lewis Lipnick reviewed the Matrix 801 Series 2 in 1987, and Wes Phillips wrote about the Nautilus 801 in 1999. I reviewed the B&W 800 Signature in 2002 and the 802D in 2005. This is getting to be a habit.
In the years I've lived with the 802Ds, they've continued to provide wonderful musical experiences, and, like an old married couple, we've adapted to each other. I've adapted to their slight emphasis of the high frequencies and their upper-bass ripeness; they, in turn, have blended comfortably into my room's décor. But recently B&W sent me a pair of 800 Diamonds, the flagship model of their new range, to challenge my resident 802Ds and the audio world at large.
The 800 Diamond doesn't look radically different from its predecessors. Indeed, from the introduction, just before 2000, of B&W's Nautilus series, with its distinctive midrange and tweeter enclosures of tapered Marlan, to the new Diamond series, any changes in appearance have been fewer and subtler than those seen in automobiles each year. However, B&W has advanced the technology with each series, and there is always something new under the hood. With the 800 Diamond, though, some of the visible changes are themselves functionally significant.
First, the new grilles for the woofer and midrange cones are attached to the front panels by invisible magnets, as were only the tweeter grilles on the earlier series. While that provides for a clean appearance when the grilles aren't in place, it also eliminates the need for any fussy swapping of the phase plugs on the Kevlar FST midrange driver. Previous 800s had a solid phase plug of shiny brass, but before affixing the grille it was necessary to unscrew this and replace it with a hollow plastic plug with a hole in its tip, which served to accept the grille's mounting pin. Who wants to mess with that before receiving visitors, especially if they bring the kids?
Second, and more significant in terms of performance, the Rohacell woofers have smaller dustcaps, but their smaller size is a function of a B&W's new "mushroom" diaphragm construction, which bonds the cone, dustcap, and voice-coil bobbin into a single unit rigid as a girder. B&W's earlier Rohacell woofer cones had a huge central convexity that was part of the diaphragm's design. A more potent electromagnetic engine drives the new woofers, powered by a motor system with two neodymium magnets to provide a more symmetrical magnetic field over long excursions, thereby reducing distortion and increasing dynamic response.
Third, B&W's diamond tweeter has been reengineered. It has a new suspension, and four high-permeability magnets are used to reduce dynamic compression at high volumes.
Fourth and finally, the use of gold-silver-oil Mundorf capacitors in the HF crossover filter—like the diamond tweeter, once restricted to the earlier 800D—is now used throughout the 800 Diamond series, including the 805 bookshelf and the two Diamond center-channel models, the HTM2 and HTM4. This will contribute to more accurate timbral matching in multichannel arrays.
My review samples were finished in a superlative Gloss Piano Black accented with gold trim lines around each driver. The body of the 800 Diamond is supported above the substantial base by five sturdy pillars, three at the front and two at the rear. The space thus created and the matte silver finish of the base top and pillars create the illusion that the large main enclosure is floating in air. Thus, while the 800 Diamond is only an inch taller than the 802D, and while the 800 Diamond is larger and heavier than the black-based, rosewood-finished 802D, it doesn't look it when placed next to the earlier model.
The 800 Diamonds' shipping cartons are huge—I was grateful for the assistance of Park Avenue Audio in unpacking and positioning the speakers. (Actually, I watched, they worked.) Shortly after they had made the cartons disappear, B&W's Doug Henderson and Park Avenue's Dennis Yetikel showed up to advise on the finer points of speaker setup. Henderson had brought along a favorite recording with very full, tight bass, with which he tried to optimize the 800s' sound for maximum bass and without excessive bloom. He did that, but I think none of us was really satisfied—there was a lot of bass power, but with a bit of flab.
Not until I had at last been left alone with the 800 Diamonds did I discover that my Classé CT-SSP surround-sound processor was still configured with bass room-equalization settings for my resident 802D speakers, and that these filters were still in circuit. When I bypassed that EQ, the bass immediately became more taut and defined. (Henderson e-mailed me a copy of his test track and with a little tweaking, I could confirm that the bass was well-defined.)
But I'm getting ahead of myself. My first impression of the 800 Diamond was that it played much louder than the 802D, even though the two speakers' claimed sensitivities are identical. It wasn't long before I realized that the cause was a distinctively more smooth and balanced midrange that projected voices and melodies into the room. As a result, for a typical comfortable listening level, my preferred volume settings for the CT-SSP were 4–5dB lower than for the 802D. That's significant in terms of amplifier power, and may go a long way toward mitigating the general observation that B&W's past 800 models demanded gobs of power.
NEXT: B&W 800 Diamond loudspeaker Page 2 »
B&W Group Ltd.
US distributor: B&W Group North America
54 Concord Street
North Reading, MA 01864-2699
www.bowers-wilkins.com
800 Diamond = "re-voiced" 802D?
Submitted by AV-OCD on August 21, 2011 - 1:39am
While the driver motors have been changed in the new 800 series, based on the measurements of the 802D and 800 Diamond, it seems that the only significant difference, (relatively speaking) in the performance of these two speakers is in the FR balance. Their sensitivity, impedance plots, cabinet resonances (or lack there of), are all VERY similar. Even the general trends in the FR are remarkably similar. In the range covered by the new and old diamond tweeter, they both have the same peak at 10K, followed by the dip at 5.5K and a smaller rise at 4K. Raise the overall treble level 1dB on the 802D, and it would be virtually interchangable with the 800 Diamond. Likewise, raise the midrange level 1-2dB in the 802D and lower the bass by 2-3dB, and you essentially get the graph for the 800 Diamond. All of those things combined would certainly make the two speakers sound different, but is the new speaker actually "better"? I have to wonder if Kal would have used the EQ in the Classe prepro to adjust the bass/mid/treble levels of the 802D to mimic those of the 800 Diamond if he would have heard any meaningful difference?
Then again, in the purist world of 2CH audio, where the use of external EQ is often considered rape of the delicate audio signal, relying on the speaker maker to re-map the FR with passive crossover components is all you have. All hail the new king in town! Shhh... pay no attention to uncanny ressemblence to the old king, he's wearing completely different clothes, so it surely can't be him..... ;-)
Here's a little photoshop magic to illustrate the very minor differences between these two speakers. Red plot is 800 Diamond, with a trasparent layer of the 802D over top. The bass / mid / treble have been shifted up or down to match the 800 Diamond plot.
Reply to AV-OCD
Submitted by amppeters on December 9, 2011 - 12:25am
@AV-OCD , posted a fine review here closly perfect for pure audiophiles , but i am not have deep understanding such technical info thats why my friend suggested audio solutions for help , I will appreciate your viewpoint on it.
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There are two ways to connect your computer to your audio, analogue or digital.
The sound card of the computer does the conversion to analogue.
You connect the analogue out of the computer to the analogue in of the amplifier.
Often the sound quality of the onboard sound card is only moderate.
In case of a desktop, you can add a discrete soundcard.
In case of a laptop you can't so a digital out is the only way to improve on it.
This requires the PC and the DAC to have a digital protocol in common.
SPDIF is the standard in the audio world to connect audio equipment digital.
This standard is less common in the computer world.
There are sound cards having SPDIF out.
You connect it to a DAC or a receiver with digital in.
More and more audio manufactures are producing high quality audio components with a USB input.
As USB is the standard in the PC world and SPDIF in the audio world, a USB to SPDIF converters can bridge the gap.
Streaming audio players use the network to connect to a server.
It all started on the internet (internet radio) but if you can play music located on a server somewhere on the internet, you can use the same technology to play the music using a PC or a NAS as a server in your home network.
Almost all modern AV equipment supports the DLNA standard.
All equipment supporting this standard can communicate with each other.
Modern TV's can show the pictures on your PC, your smart phone can used as a remote, etc. etc.
Why? All are networked and all are DLNA compliant.


Will a dollar correction save commodities?
The US dollar backs off highs. Is a dollar correction underway? With Jens Nordvig, Nomura, CNBC's Bertha Coombs and the Futures Now Traders, Brian Stutland at the CME and Anthony Grisanti at the Nymex.


Description: Erect or spreading shrub 1.5–3 m high; branchlets angled or flattened at extremities, glabrous.
Phyllodes linear to very narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, ± straight, usually 4–10 cm long, 2–5 mm wide, glabrous, midvein ± prominent, obscurely penniveined, apex subacute with a mucro; 1 inconspicuous gland 0–6 mm above pulvinus; pulvinus < 2 mm long.
Inflorescences 4–10 in an axillary raceme; axis 1–6 cm long; peduncles 2–4 mm long, glabrous; heads globose, 20–30-flowered, 3.5–5 mm diam., cream-coloured to bright yellow.
Pods straight to slightly curved, ± flat, barely to slightly and often irregularly more deeply constricted between seeds, 4–11 cm long, 5–7 mm wide, firmly papery to thinly leathery, glabrous; seeds longitudinal; funicle filiform, ± encircling seed.
Flowering: usually June–September, also recorded March, April, October, December.
Distribution and occurrence: the Blue Mtns from Mt Wilson south to the Picton district; rare.
Grows in dry sclerophyll forest on sandstone.
Similar to Acacia forsythii, A. betchei and A. linearifolia but differs in the position of the gland on the phyllode and the perianth details. Named after Margaret Lillian Flockton (1861-1953), a botanical artist who illustrated many works of Joseph Maiden. A. flocktoniae is listed as Vulnerable in the Species Profile and Threats (SPRAT) Database.


I have been an Apollo client since 2007 and it has been a fantastic experience – one that is very important to my wellness. The expertise, knowledge, positive disposition and professionalism of the Apollo staff is first and foremost one of the reasons that I have continued to stay with Apollo for all of their services: Chiropractic, Massage therapy and Physiotherapy. The Apollo team approach ensures that I have received the best and most congruent care needed. I am a very active individual and my body takes a beating – and Apollo helps me to recover and to deal with any challenges. Vik and Jen are fantastic and I know that I am in good hands!!