Gangs Essay

637 Words2 Pages

Gangs have been around for hundreds of years. They can be dated as far back as the early 1800’s. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency (1994) gangs arise out of a need for power and strength in a environment where they feel powerless. In response to this youth form social groups. These groups often become substitute families, providing a what the individuals feels they are lacking. Gangs often get their names from the location of their gang or the crimes that they commit. Many crimes include armed robbery, gun related crimes. Murder, assault, and many more. Gangs are often loosely structured with constantly changing leaders and varying membership. The gang is based on loyalty and group dedication versus a rigid hierarchical structure.Within all gangs there is identifiable levels of membership. These levels represent the members status within the gang. There are six known levels of gang membership. The first level is the leader. This member decides what level of crime the gang will commit. The leader is the top position and is followed by every gang member. Next are the hard core gang members. These individuals are criminally and culturally involved in the gang. These members are usually older and are responsible for a large part of the gangs violent activities. The third type is the associate gang member. Usually these members make a commitment to the gang and are dedicated on reaching the status of a hard core member. They are more likely to carry out crimes that they believe will boost their status in the gang. The fourth type of member is the Fringe. This type of member is still able to function outside of the gang and has not committed to the being a member of the gangs criminal lifestyle. This type o... ... middle of paper ... ... larger cities such as New York and Chicago, gangs have developed a clear corporate like structure that resembles an Egyptian pyramid in shape. At the bottom of the chart are the street soldiers, topped by a hierarchy which is then topped by a leader and, last a president or king. Gangs that utilize this structure often have written constitutions and bylaws each member must follow. The presence of a gang in a community affects the quality of life for society through illegal behavior and alcohol or drug use. In order to effectively treat the nations gang problem, we must fully understand what drives individuals to join gangs, and what makes them turn to violence. Prevention begins with awareness. By making programs and resources available to parents and youths then there is a higher chance of preventing membership and recognizing when a youth is already involved.

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