In today’s modern world, not only can you find gangs in inner cities, but in suburban areas, rural communities, and basically anywhere around the world. Starting off, the word gang is defined as a self-formed association of peers, bound together by mutual interests, with identifiable leadership, well-developed lines of authority, and other organizational features, who act in concert to achieve a specific purpose or purposes, which generally include illegal activity and control over a particular territory, facility or type of enterprise. For example, based upon the findings done by the FBI, gangs are morphing, multiplying, migrating and entrenching themselves in order to sell drugs to kids, shooting up neighborhoods, invading homes, robbing banks and stores, stealing identities, money, and instilling fear and violence everywhere they go. From that statement alone, gangs are known worldwide because they are all interconnected, for some it becomes a mechanism for surviving deprivation and trauma. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of youths who join a gang over the years, making gangs recognized as a world issue. According to FBI, gangs are going to be a …show more content…
Common motives include profiting from organized crime, a means to obtain food and shelter, or access to luxury goods and services. Joining a gang can also give protection from rival gangs or violent crime in general, especially when the police are distrusted or ineffective. It can also be for personal status and “coolness” because it can give members a sense of family, identity, or belonging. Sometimes joining a gang is just a family tradition or because of the excitement of risk-taking. Risk factors include lack of adult or parental supervision, family instability, family members with violent attitudes, being part of a socially marginalized group (ethnic minority), poverty, low academic performance, drug use, low self-esteem and lack of role
Gangs have been in existence since the beginning of the Roman Empire. There were speeches made by Roman orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero, which references groups of men who constantly fought and disrupted Roman politics (Curry, 2013). The history of street gangs in the United States begins with their emergence on the East Coast around 1783, as the American Revolution ended. Though many believe the best available evidence suggests that the more serious street gangs likely did not emerge until the early part of the nineteenth century (Sante, 1991). Although our country has had their share of feared gangs like in the 1980’s with the turf war between the Bloods and Crips, back in the 17th and 18th century the Mohocks of Georgian, England were one of the most feared gangs. What draws juveniles to the gang lifestyle? Many people will say that most gang members are children from impoverished communities, single family homes where there was no father present, or maybe there is a more psychological/sociological answer? By appearance and presence most gangs cause fear, crime, and disillusionment in the communities they occupy. Throughout history joining a gang has been perceived as a life without any reward, yet by joining this lifestyle many juveniles are able to gain the needed stability and security in their lives.
The racial/ethnic composition of gangs also appears to be changing. African-American and Hispanic gangs still predominate, but law enforcement agencies in a number of cities are now reporting Asian and South Pacific groups, more white gangs, and more racial/ethnic mixing than in the past. (Klein)
Gang involvement has been quite higher than past years. The 2008 National Youth Gang Survey estimates that about 32.4 percent of all cities, suburban areas, towns, and rural counties had a gang problem (Egley et al., 2010). This represented a 15 percent increase from the year 2002. The total number of gangs has also increased by 28 percent and total gang members have increased by 6 percent (Egley et al., 2010). This shows how relevant gang related activity is in today’s society. More locations are beginning to experience gang activity for the first time. Gang crime has also been on the rise in the past...
Street Gangs are becoming popular in many cities across the country. According to the Department of Justice's 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment, there are at least 21,500 gangs and more than 731,000 active gang members (Grabianowski). Gangs bring fear and violence to neighborhoods, drugs, destroy property, involve youth in crimes and drive out businesses. When you have gangs in a community, it affects everyone in the community. An alarming amount of young adults are joining gangs and becoming involved in illegal activity. Most gangs have a rule that when you join the gang you are a member of the gang for life. Gangs can be removed from our communities with more community involvement and education.
A gang is a group of reoccurring individuals or close partners with a high potential leadership in a certain organization, taking control over territory in a specific area by either identifying themselves as to whom they are or claiming control, engaging individually or collectively in violence or other forms of illegal action. To become a part of gang in today’s world you show your loyalty by committing such crimes as murder, robbery and/or theft in order to be accepted as a member of its group [1].
Throughout the centuries, gangs have been rapidly growing. As early as the 1730s different groups of people in Europe began forming gangs. At first they were composed of people upset with the government who started riots to rebel against the government. Decades later, gangs began to spread worldwide very quickly. Gangs made their way all the way to the United States, or the 13 colonies at the time. They were largely created by people upset with the government. There were gangs for federalists supporters, and gangs for people who supported the Anti-federalists (“Gangs” 2015). As centuries passed, people formed gangs for different reasons. Beginning in the 1940s in cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit, gangs of white
Currently in the United States of America, there are 33,000 or more active gangs, that operate on a regular basis. Many gangs in America are violent and radical. Yet there are also gangs that start with good intentions but soon turn to multi-million drug enterprises. Common gang members are embossed in a community that already possesses ties to the local economy.
Drugs According to the social disorganization perspective, gang members do drugs because they are forced into a substance. Drug offences are a common substance that is used and abused in gangs. Most people and kids that do drugs are because of peer pressure. Other reasons why gang members do drugs are because the environment that they are in forces the people to do drugs to fit in. They also do drugs because the environment they live in stresses them out so much that they lure them into drug use and abuse.
...asons are for protection, for profit, to gain a family or friends, to join family or friends already associated with the gang, to gain means for something, or for retribution and power. A gang creates relationships or a feeling of family, and most important a new social bond filled with ties of attachment, commitment, beliefs, and involvement (Siegel 2012). It gives individuals, especially the younger ones, a hope for the future, a family dynamic, a form of means and income, and a place to create ties and bonds. Especially if their ties to conventional society are weak because they are not involved, they do not have many commitments in school or work, or they are not attached to his or her family or friends. Humans are social creatures, and this type of group allows humans to interact with people who have similar lifestyles, beliefs, values, needs, and experiences.
...an likely, it will never be conceivable that gangs and gang violence will be hindered entirely. With assistance from the populations in each municipality and township it can be thinkable to halt and reduce the unnecessary quantity of gang followers and gang-related crimes. We must consider that countless means to reduce the magnitude of gangs in America do, in fact exist. Assorted substitutes to being a member of a gang are the availability for programs in the school and community, educational curriculums for parents and children, and capturing the most faithful gang members and directors of gangs. It is essential for the protection of us as American residents to commence in the progression of managing and restricting gangs at the present. Without stopping gang involvement, America will develop further into a brutal and treacherous nation for the blameless masses.
Gangs originated in the mid 1800’s in the cardinal direction using it as a method to defend themselves against outsiders.The idea of gangs became populous, powerful, and a broad influence. But like all powers, they tend to corrupt and recognizes violence as a way of getting what they want faster than other methods.They turn violence into fun, profit, and control.Creating a situation that affects youth in today’s society.
Additionally, the need for the young people to have a sense of protection mainly drives them to join gangs. Many societies with high reported cases of mob activities frequently see youths linked with a bunch of criminals just for endurance. For many, it is better to connect with the mob than to stay vulnerable and defenseless in their localities (Klein & Maxson, 2006). For many, being connected to a mob guarantees sustenance in case of assault and retaliation for wrongdoings.
Many stereotypes of gangs have been fabricated. The problem is that a majority of gang members do not fit these stereotypes, which, in turn, makes it hard for the to be caught (Klein). Traditionally they organize their group around a specific neighborhood, school or housing projec...
There are various reasons behind young people joining street gangs. One of the reasons young people join street gangs is because of neighborhood disadvantages. A theory that can contribute to why young people might join street gangs is Social Disorganization Theory. Social Disorganization theory assumes that “delinquency emerges in neighborhoods where neighborhood relation and social institutions have broken down and can no longer maintain effective social controls (Bell, 2007).” Social Disorganization contributes to residential instability and poverty, which affects interpersonal relationships within the community and opens opportunities for crimes to be committed.
A gang can be defined as a group of people who unite to serve a common purpose and engage in violent or otherwise criminal behavior. (http://www.ci.torrance.ca.us) The types of crimes committed by gang members differ between gangs, but the crimes generally associated with gangs include vandalism, robbery, drug-trafficking, assault, arson, and murder. There are many reasons why teenagers may join gangs. The root causes of violent gang formation are poverty, stressed families, unemployment, under-employment, under-education, racism, and the breakdown of sociocultural institutions. (http://www.instanet.com) Many people join gangs for protection from violent people in other gangs. (http://www.public.iastate.edu) Other people join gangs for the sense of family that comes along with it. The youth gang satisfies a void - the child's desire to feel secure. It provides the child with a sense of identity, belonging, power, and protection. The gang provides a protective barrier against the outside world. (http://www.highways.com)