Swarming and the social dynamics of group violence

Riots such as the Cronulla and Macquarie Fields occurrences and media reports of large numbers of individuals gatecrashing parties understandably raise community concern. This is a difficult area to research as the number of events is typically low, although their impact can be high. This paper provides a broad overview of different group formations and identifies commonalities between those associated with violence. It identifies two initiatives to improve police-community relations