Kody Dejohn Scott, a future infamous gang leader was born in south central Los Angeles, California in 1963. He was one of six children as his step father left his family in 1970. Kody suspected that his real father was actually NFL quarterback Dick Bass and felt that his step father never treated him like his real son because of that (Kody, 2008). Throughout Kody’s younger years his step father physically abused him and his family.
With no father figure in his life and a broken home, Kody turned to the streets in search of love and security. He became good friends with a guy by the name of “Tookie” Williams. Williams just so happened to be an early leader of the Crips, a notorious Los Angeles gang. The more Kody hung out with Tookie, the more
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This model’s theorists argue that abnormal behavior is best understood in light of the social and cultural forces that influence an individual; as such they address the norms of and people’s roles in society. When Kody was a young boy, society’s cultural forces that had the biggest impact on his life were gangs. Gangs were all around him and because they were all around him, gangs became a normal part of life as they were a big part of south central Las Angeles’s culture. Culture refers to the set of values, attitudes, beliefs, history, and behaviors shared by a group of people and communicated from one generation to the next. There is no doubt in my mind after reading this book and what I have heard about south central Las Angeles that there is a lack of normal values that the majority of the United States shares. Instead, their values seem to be based on drugs, money, and commitment to their gang which for many leads to death. Kody’s main belief was that his gang (Crips) was the biggest and baddest and that belief nearly lead to his death. Sociocultural theorists also believe that behavior is learned. Kody Scott’s story is a prime example of this as his actions were exactly what he saw day in and day out in his part of town. Kody didn’t naturally know the best ways to hijack a car or rob someone and get away with it. He was taught this at a young age and used these …show more content…
I would also recommend that he be put on antianxiety and antidepressant medications. In our class notes it also says that he might benefit from behavioral exposure techniques. These techniques can help reduce specific symptoms and increase overall adjustment. Flooding and relaxation training may be effective as well. Flooding and relaxation training may involve having the veteran gang member imagine a combat scene in great detail and have Kody hold on to the image until his anxiety has stopped. After the flooding exercise, the therapist will have Kody switch to a positive image and will lead him through relaxation exercises. Insight therapy might also help Kody. This seeks to bring out deep-seated feelings, create acceptance, and reduce guilt. There is no doubt in my mind that Kody has a whole lot of guilt. Family and group formats are also often used for this.
For axis 2, antisocial personality disorder our notes say that no treatment for this disorder seems to be effective. Yet about 25 percent of all people with this disorder do receive treatment. One major problem is that individual’s lack of conscience or desire to change. Most have been mandated to treatment. Hospitals have attempted to create therapeutic communities even though most of today’s treatment approaches have little to no impact on the
When Kody Scott was 6 years old, the gang wars started in Los Angeles. It started out as a battle between the Crips and the Bloods, but by the late 70's and continuing today, the biggest killer of Crips is other Crips. The Crip Nation was divided into different divisions, which Monster compares to the U.S. Army. "For instance, one who is in the army may belong to the F...
Sean Vincent Gills was born June 24, 1962, in Baton Rouge, LA to Norman and Yvonne Gillis. His father died of acholism when Gills was just a young boy. His mom working a full time job at a local television station struggled to take care of Gills. Her parents often looked at after him. As a child Gills was thought to be normal. His mother was quoted saying that “I used to call him my little blue-eyed angel. This is the person I loved most in this world.” It wasn’t until his teenage years when others began to see a different side of him. As a teenager he had minor infraction but none to alarm others to think he would become a killer. He was arrested for traffic citations, DUI, possession of marijuana, and contempt of court through tout the years.
Kody Scott first became involved with the Crips at the age of eleven (Shakur Preface xiii). From the beginning of his time in the Crips, Scott seemed to naturally fit into the life of a gang member. He quickly gained notoriety for his numerous acts of violence and he was given the nickname "Monster" as a result of a vicious beating he gave a man that left him permanently disfigured and in a coma (Shakur 13). Scott became very well known around the community and was feared by rival gangs, as he quickly rose to the top of his own gang. Throughout his early teenage years, Scott was in and out of juvenile halls and youth camps as a result of his violent behavior. As a result of his affiliation with the Crips and his actions as a member, his relationship with his mother became very poor (Shakur 25). He became so notorious that one night he was attacked and shot seven times (Shakur 92). After this he became even more famous in the gang world and he was quickly becoming the most respected member of the Crips. Shortly after being released from the hospital after his shooting, Kody Scott was arrested for murder and was sent to juvenile hall (Shakur 124).
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on June 16, 1971 in New York City to Afeni Shakur, a Black Panther member since 1968. She gave birth to him 2 months after she was released from Women’s House of Detentions in Grenwich Village. She was charged with conspiracy to bomb several New York public locations and just had her bail revoked. In court she represented herself and won against the state of New York in a surprising turn out. In Incan dialect, his name Tupac Amaru means “shining serpent” and Shakur is Arabic for “thankful to God.” For most of his childhood his crack addicted mother shuffled Tupac between the ghettos of Harlem and the Bronx. Young Tupac began his performance career with the 127th Street Ensemble and then enrolled Baltimore School for the Arts where he was educated in ballet and acting. Tupac was forced to drop out of the school because he had to move to California with his mother, where his criminal career began. He left his house at the age of 17 because of the continuous fights with his mother he then began selling/doing drugs, and was homeless for about 2 years. His life was spiraling down wards at a rapid rate. Till one day he got his big break. Tupac always dreamt about being famous someday, now his dream was becoming a reality. He struck a recording deal with Interscope records. He was on his way to super stardom, but as we all know with fame comes problems. He was involved in the shooting of two off duty police officers, although the chargers were later dropped. He was also convicted of rape, and sentenced to 5 years in Clinton Correctional Facilities.
Citation: Gary Brown. (1994). Los Angeles gangs: The bloods and the Crips. Retrieved November 21, 2016, from Socialist Alternative, http://www.socialistalternative.org/panther-black-rebellion/los-angeles-gangs-bloods-crips/
Crip founder, Stanly Williams III, also known as “Tookie”, was born December 29,1953 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was known for being a gang member, an Activist, as well as a writer. Mr. Williams and his mother left New Orleans in 1959, shortly after his father abandoned the family. They moved to Los Angeles hoping to find a better way of life for Tookie and his family. He described the neighborhood as an “Affluent –looking South Central Neighborhood,” where they rented their first apartment. Tookie Williams began to wander the streets at the age of six. He began to find the streets more interesting than being at home. As him being the new kid on the block, he had to learn quickly how to defend himself from the neighborhood
States such as California and New York have a big problem with gangs. Gang-related homicides in Los Angeles County has increased dramatically in the last 16 years, reaching epidemic proportions especially for young male African Americans and Hispanics, according to a study by co-authored by Deirdre Anglin, assistant professor of emergency medicine at LAC+USC (Maceo para.1). When someone decides to join a gang they have to let current members of the gang know that they are going to be a member for life and they are dedicated to the gang, this can be proven in a gang affiliation. Boys are usually forced to fight several gang members at the same time. This is called being "rolled-in" or "walking the line." Girls may be forced to have sex with several gang members or fight other female members. For some gangs you have to beat someone up, rob a store or commit a drive-by shooting. This puts innocent citizens in danger. In Chicago, the year 2012, more than 40 people were shot over Memorial Day weekend alone (Childress para.2).
The two major gangs that exist in the Little Village community are the Latin Kings and the Two-Six. From 1989 to 1992, members from these gangs accounted for 75 percent of all gang-motivated homicides, aggravated batteries, and aggravated assaults in Little Village. (Irving A. Spergel, 1997) The Latin Kings were the more violent and criminal group, while the Two-Six engaged more in property offenses (Irving A. Spergel, 1997). Gang members were ages 17 to 24 were primarily targeted for services because they accounted for a large percent of serious gang violence. The program later began to target youth ages 12 to 27 (Irving A. Spergel, 1997). The article explains that the traditional treatment modalities were not working at this time because these treatments were not effective for planning and dealing with the problems of people who are living in poverty and segregated
Serving as a reminder of South Central Los Angeles’ African American civil rights riots, Stacy Peralta’s 2008 Crips and Bloods: Made in America explores the tipping points that caused generations of psychologically oppressed and confined black youth of LA to change their tactics and methods of warfare in order survive by questioning the Los Angeles Police Department’s historical background towards the rise of gang culture. This documentary follows a timeline of the evolution of gang violence from three former Slauson gang members and now activists – Ron, Bird, and Kumasi – and their accounts of the external factors that influenced black youth to turn to gangs. Ultimately, Crips and Bloods: Made in America is about the generational shift of gang
Kody Scott, also known as “Monster” for his viciousness in beating of a man and further crimes, forms a realistic and brutal picture of gang violence in America. Throughout his story, Scott views his gang participation as the only viable means of survival. Killing is done through the necessity to promote oneself in order to become an O.G., or Original Gangster, the pinnacle of gang member status and achievement. The urge to become an O.G. seems to be paramount in Scott's eyes, and he outlines his plan: first he must build his reputation, then his influence as part of his set, and finally as a “promoter” of the Crips (Shakur, 1993, pp. 14-15). By age eleven Scott's sole desire is to become a gang member of his local set, the Eight Trays. He disregards education, at one point stating how he paid no attention to his middle school teacher, focusing only on the streets and his “homeboys” as source of lifestyle and adventure (Shakur, 1993, pp. 3-4). He clearly reaches his goal, putting the entirety of his mental and physical being into being a gangster, even though it leads him to a life wreaked by violence and prison sentences.
Stanley “Tookie” Williams created the street gang known as the ”Crips.” By 1980, the Crips were in turmoil, going to war with the Bloods and against each other. The development and power of the Crips took off in the 1980’s when crack cocaine hit the streets. The huge profits from distribution of crack cocaine introduced many Crips to establish new markets in other cities and states. Because Crips were so powerful, they began tormenting other gangs. Those gangs joined the Piru Street Boys to create a new foundation of non-Crip gangs which would later become known the“Bloods.” Sylvester Scott established the Piru street gang, the first “Bloods” street gang. He started the Bloods because he was attacked by Raymond Washington and several other Crips. As a result, the Bloods street gang was initially formed to provide members protection from Crips because the Crips outnumbered them 3 to 1. Several gangs felt victimized by the Crips due to their escalating
The term gang refers to “a group of people with a discernible structure, a recognized territory, and distinctive beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors” (Pearce and Pettis, 2011). Gang violence is a wide spread phenomena. Gang violence can be found in all fifty states and in most major cities. With gang violence being so common, it is no surprise that this type of violence is not only affecting are youth, but they are also becoming a main cause of this violence (Graulich, 2010). Youth gang violence has grasped the attention of the communities. Members of the community are joining forces to put a stop to this type of violence (O’Brien, Daffern, Chu, and Thomas, 2013). It is important to learn and understand the history
Hallswort, S. And Young, T. (2004) Getting Real About Gang. Criminal Justice Matters [online]. 55. (1), pp 12-13 [Accessed 10 December 2013]
From stressful environments to influences and abuse will lead a child to gang life in their youth and adult years. Some children are motivated to become part of a gang for the sense of connection or perhaps to define a sense of who they are. Others are motivated by peer pressure, feeling the need to seek protection for themselves and/or their family, because a family member is also a gang member, or to make money. There are many other risk factors that may contribute to youth’s involvement in gangs: growing up in an area of heavy gang activity, gang involvement within the family, history of violence in the home, to little adult supervision, unstructured free time, and lack of positive role models. A life of gangs means death or the possibility of a prison sentence.
Gang life is dangerous and often deadly for the people directly involved and for their friends and family. However, not all those maimed or murdered are gang members or those connected with them. Innocent people are often caught in the crossfire and injured or killed. In some areas, as many as half of the victims of all gang murders are innocent bystanders. Their only mistake is being in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Osman 53) As Detective T. Wessel told the LA Times in October of 1991, "It's like bullets are flying everywhere. And where they land, heaven only knows." (Osman 55) Each gang has its own turf and graffiti marks its boundaries. Anyone not belonging in the area and who resembles a rival gang member may become the subject of an attack.