This is an opinion column; the entire content and views represent the\npersonal opinions of the author and do not reflect the editorial\nstance.<\/p>\n
The Kompas editorial titled \u201cThuggery Claims Lives\u201d reports on a\nheartbreaking tragedy that claimed victims (Kompas, 8 April 2026). This\ndistressing tragedy serves as a stark warning about the fragility of\npublic safety amid society.<\/p>\n
The death of Dadang, a resident of Kertamukti Village, Purwakarta\nRegency, due to a beating by a group of thugs, underscores that street\nviolence still finds fertile ground. More than that, it signals serious\ngaps in the state\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n
Thuggery is not a new phenomenon. But when it claims lives again, the\nissue can no longer be viewed merely as ordinary criminality.<\/p>\n
From a sociological perspective, thuggery is a symptom of social\ndysfunction\u2014when legal norms weaken, social control loosens, and\neconomic inequalities are left unaddressed.<\/p>\n
One key analytical tool can be found in \u00c9mile Durkheim\u2019s theory of\nanomie, as presented in his work The Division of Labor in Society.\nDurkheim explains that when social norms weaken or fail to regulate\nindividual behaviour, a state of normlessness emerges.<\/p>\n
In such situations, individuals tend to act beyond agreed moral\nboundaries, including through violence. Thuggery, in this context, is a\nmanifestation of the collapse of normative order at the local level.<\/p>\n
This analysis is reinforced by Robert K. Merton\u2019s strain theory in\nhis book Social Theory and Social Structure. Merton highlights the\ntension between cultural goals (such as prosperity) and the available\nmeans to achieve them.<\/p>\n
When access to legitimate means is limited, some individuals opt for\ndeviant paths (innovation), including criminal practices. Thuggery can\nbe understood as a form of deviant adaptation due to these structural\npressures.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thuggery-claims-lives-a-stark-warning-for-the-nation-1775602323", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }