The "element" has been brought up on a steady diet of thuggish rap videos, scorn for decency and law, and glorification of violence (including rape) and getting "stuff," such as BMW's and $200 sneakers, by any means possible, always with the implication that you are somehow owed this "stuff" by society. They're just putting into practice what they learned so well.
When that earthquake - followed by snow blizzards - destroyed the city of Bam in Iran, there was a lot of initial chaos and even some looting.
But the Iranians put a stop to that very fast, and there was a huge effort by volunteers and rescuers. The survivors were quickly taken elsewhere, and there were no women raped on the streets or anything like that. Not at all.