Heather Booher
One of the most well-known biker gangs in the country is the Hell’s Angels motorcycle club of California. Despite rumors that the club’s heyday was limited to the 1960’s and 70’s, the club’s membership continues to grow and has recently been making headlines in newspapers all across the country. This past spring, four bikers were killed and a dozen others were seriously injured in a wild casino fight that took place during a motorcycle rally in Nevada. The two gangs involved were the Hell’s Angels and the Mongols, a largely Hispanic motorcycle gang rooted around Los Angeles (Sanchez, 2002). The feud between the two gangs is a battle over turf and control of criminal rackets. Since the casino fight, a Hell’s Angel wearing the club’s emblem was shot and killed while standing outside of a biker bar, and one man was fatally stabbed and another Angel was seriously wounded by gunfire. No one has been arrested for any of these crimes, even though dozens of bikers have been witness to them, because of the Angel’s infamous code of silence. No one ever talks about the inner workings of the group, and it is impossible for cops to get any information from them (2002).
The aggressive behavior of the Hell’s Angels parallels that of many animals in nature. Behavioral ecologists consider aggression as a form of resource competition, in which an animal actively excludes rivals from some resource such as food, shelter, or mates (Drickamer et al. 2002). A term with a more precise definition is agonistic behavior, which “is a system of behavior patterns with the common function of adjustment to situations of conflict among conspecifics” (2002). There are various proximate and ultimate causes for such behavior.
Because the Hell’s Angels are all men, the organizational and activational effects of testosterone play a large role. Results from many researchers indicate that the presence or absence of testosterone influences aggressive behavior in birds and mammals. Intact males show more aggression, have shorter latencies to initiate fighting behavior and fight more frequently than do castrated subjects of the same species (Drickamer et al. 2002). Testosterone has many physiological effects, including muscle growth and increased mass. Martensz et al. (1987) have shown that the pattern of daily release of hormones such as testosterone, and the consequences they have on the exposure of target tissues to them, is highly sensitive to interactions within groups of primates. A link between dominance and testosterone has been reported in several primate species. Testosterone levels were higher in dominant than subordinate male talapoin ( Miopithecus talapoin ), squirrel ( Saimiri sciureus ), and rhesus (Macaca mulatta) monkeys (1987).
Ultimate causes of this behavior would indicate historic or evolved effects. The main one would be physical vigor among the men in the group. Physical competitiveness is very apparent among the Angels; something they strive for, that they can use to show off with. They are status-conscious, and try to outdo one another (Wethern & Colnett, 1978). A fascination with objects, in this case, motorcycles, is also an important aspect. These men view their bikes as an extension of their bodies, and spend countless dollars personalizing them (1978). The Angel’s emblem has great significance and a proud history attached to it. The red and white patch profiles a human skull, its teeth and jawbone in a wide mocking grin, an old leather flyer’s helmet on, and a powerful set of wings in place of ears. Smaller patches show ranking of officers and many of the men wear swastikas or Nazi war medals for shock value. All members also sport a tattoo of the skull (1978).
The group’s aggression is institutionalized in society as well. The group colors, symbols and slogans like “Angels forever, forever Angels” create a notoriety feared by non-Angels. The tradition of the club is so important to each member that it establishes the group’s identity and denigrates any outgroup, such as the Mongols, as ruthless enemies.
In the wild, compared to solitary animals, individuals living in groups are believed to suffer lower rates of mortality from extra-group attack ( Treves, 1997). It also increases fitness of the participants by either protecting or acquiring more resources. Group territoriality benefits all members, on average. In the case of the Hell’s Angels, each man watches out for the others. They support each other when resources are low, and work together to control a large drug trafficking organization. If another gang gives any of the members trouble, the entire group retaliates. Sonny Barger, the head of the Angels since the 60’s when he founded the gang has said, “When people hurt us, we hurt ‘em back. We make sure they’ll never, ever do it again” (Sanchez 2002). Because of the intense group loyalty, the Angels have been able to run a successful criminal racket for decades. When they face trouble with the law, it is rarely a problem because no one will break the sacred “code of silence” (Wethern & Colnett, 1978).
Multimale primate societies occur in many taxa in the primate order, and in some species males in multimale groups form associations with one another. In Stanford’s study (1997) of the red colobus monkey (Colobus badius), male-bonded societies form when there is the threat of attack by conspecifics from a neighboring group. These clashes are usually related to defense of a territory, defense of mates, defense of food, or a combination of these.
Male coalitions play important roles during intergroup encounters in several primate taxa. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are the best-documented species that engages in intergroup encounters in which injurious aggression occurs, which is carried out by males of neighboring communities (Stanford, 1997). Chimpanzees live in multimale communities; males are philopatric, and commonly associate and groom with each other. Males form within-community alliances that influence dominance rank and access to mates. Allies groom with each other regularly and males also cooperate in aggression between communities ( Watts, 2000). This type of behavior is present because of the control gained by the males of resources and mates.
The social hierarchy that exists among the Hell’s Angels can be compared to that of many social hierarchies found in primates. The biggest, strongest men in the gang are most often the top club leaders. Forcefulness is one of the essential qualities needed. Sonny Barger has always been the president since he formed the club, but vice president, treasurer, secretary and sergeant at arms are all highly sought-after positions within the organization. To be one of them, a man must be one of the most active participants, and his loyalty to the group must be unquestioned. While brute strength is undoubtedly important, it is not always necessary to be an officer. Often times the vice president is the man who has known the president the longest, and is the most loyal (Wethern & Colnett 1978).
Primates that live in groups usually form dominance hierarchies (Martensz, 1987). Male rhesus monkeys exhibit this same type of dominance among males. Since males leave the natal group shortly after puberty, they must establish dominance as they move into new social groups. Size and previous fighting experiences do not influence rank however; as long as they stay in the new group, their rank is positively correlated with seniority. Those in the group the longest rank the highest (Drickamer et al. 2002). Chimpanzees and black spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus) are two more examples of primates that form dominance hierarchies (Stanford, 1997). Establishing top-down hierarchies within groups helps to restrain intra-group aggression. Internal conflicts are easily solved because lower monkeys are submissive to the higher-ups. This type of behavior has evolved because living within a group that is organized in this fashion makes dealing with external conflicts much easier.
References
Drickamer, L. C., Vessey, S. T. & Jakob, E. M. 2002. Animal behavior: mechanisms, Ecology, evolution. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Martensz, N. D., Vellucci, S. V., Fuller, L. M., Everitt, B. J., Keverne, E. B. &
Herbert, J. 1987. Relation between aggressive behavior and circadian rhythms in Cortisol and testosterone in social groups talapoin monkeys. Journal of Endocrinology, 115, 107-120.
Sanchez, R. 2002. Biker war breaks out over turf and rackets. The Washington Post, 11/17/02.
Stanford, C. B. 1998. Predation and male bonds in primate societies. Behavior, 135, 513-533.
Treves, A. 1998. The influence of group size and neighbors on vigilance in two species of arboreal monkeys. Behavior, 135, 453-481.
Watts, D. P. 2000. Grooming Between Male Chimpanzees at Ngogo, Kibale National Park. International Journal of Primatology, 21, 189-210.
Wethern, G. & Colnett, V. 1978. A wayward angel. New York: Richard Marek Publishers.