The Social Construction of the “Knockout Game” Problem in American Newspapers

• In Event: 041 - Regular Session. Violence

Abstract

It’s called the Knockout Game. It’s brutal; it’s senseless; and it’s terrifying. Young people are prowling the streets, looking for unsuspecting victims to knock out with a single strong punch. The Knockout Game garnered media attention in 1992 for only a brief period. Two decades later, it’s gaining public attention again. This time, it’s being called trend, and, even, an epidemic. This article is an analysis of the social construction of the Knockout Game problem in American newspapers. Using a constructionist framework, this article examines the language used to describe and typify the Knockout Game, its participants, and its victims. In total, the typified Knockout Game attack appears to be a single punch inflicted on a random stranger on the street; the typified Knockout Game player appears to be a young, black male; and the typified Knockout Game victim appears to be a vulnerable innocent, walking alone. Yet, a profile of Knockout Game attacks, players, and victims suggests significantly greater complexity to the problem. Attacks sometimes involve multiple punches, kicks, and assaults with objects. They occur in public and in private spaces. Players are males, females, youth, and legal adults of many races. Victims are both physically vulnerable and physically capable. As the Knockout Game problem’s profile is converted into its typification, certain intricacies of the problem become focal points, while others are disregarded. From this evaluation, this paper discusses cultural templates and resources which may influence the framing of the Knockout Game problem’s typification.

Authors

• Jacqueline Henke, Purdue University

• Kelsey L. Henke, Loyola University-Chicago