This passage provides a horrifying example of how, even though Joe is a young, vulnerable, and abused boy, as a white(-passing) person he still has almost limitless power over black people. Along with the other boys, he uses that power to abuse a girl, once again showing how cycles of abuse are perpetuated. However, it is not necessarily the case that the way Joe treats the girl is directly the result of his upbringing. The boys do not just harm her because they were harmed—they do it because they can.