Reasons Youth Join Gangs Essays - 3484 Words

Deviance in Gang Involvement Reasons Youth Join Gangs The problem of gang activity is not a new one facing our country. Ever since the beginnings of human existence gangs have served as a means of protection for humans. The issue of gang activity has recently, however, come to the forefront of dilemmas facing our nation. While cities like Chicago and Los Angeles are chronic gang sites, other cities such as â€Å"Miami, Portland, Columbus, Dallas, and Milwaukee have only recently (within the last decade) had what they termed as a gang problem† (Conly 7). Gang numbers have, without question, skyrocketed over the past 10 to 20 years. Los Angeles, for example, has recently been estimated to have as many as 90,000 gang members (Conly 14).†¦show more content†¦While images of boys drinking in the woods does not conjure up representations of hard core gang activity it does fit under the umbrella of the definition given above. This definition, obviously, leaves much to be desired. A sociologist, on the other hand, may describe the term gang with another set of values. As a result, a sociologist may describe a gang as a group whom: Are generally perceived as a distinct aggregation by others in their neighborhood, recognize themselves as a denotable group (almost invariably with a group name) and have been involved in a sufficient number of delinquent incidents to call forth a consistent negative response from neighborhood residents and/or enforcement agencies. (Sanders 9) This definition is less obscure than the previous one. However, it still leaves much to be desired. As one can see a â€Å"clear cut† definition is extremely hard thing to determine. In order to define the term gang one must take a combination of several definitions. As a result, a combination of these two definitions must be faceted for the purpose of this paper. Gangs, for our purpose, can be characterized in the following manner: A group of youths that commit crimes that recognizes themselves as a â€Å"gang†. As a result of a sufficient definition being unearthed, the focus of this paper can next be turned to the reasons for joining a gang. While there are a variety of reasons one may choose to enterShow MoreRelatedCharacteristics Of A Criminal Street Gang1212 Words   |  5 Pagescriminal street gang. Not only does MLO fit the definition of what a reasonable person would believe a street gang to be, but most importantly it fits the definition of a criminal street gang as it is defined in the California STEP act. According Ludeke’s article, MLO has been responsible for nearly killing a young man, beating another, and threatening witnesses with death if they went to the police. While he recognizes that MLO is not as big a threat or as notorious as other well-known gangs, it doesRead MoreThe Rate Of Youth Gangs Essay1744 Words   |  7 Pagesone on one and I was not exposed to gangs back home. Since I was new to the country and my English was very bad, I was vulnerable to being bullied. In fact, I was bullied. I was tired of being a victim and was so interested in joining one of the gangs for protection. Then, I realized that these gangs were involved in all sort criminal activities which discouraged me from joining one of the gangs in school. In this paper, I will first discuss the rate of youth gangs and some of their contributions toRead MoreYouth Gang Membership : A Serious Problem Affecting Many Youths Essay1272 Words   |  6 PagesYouth Gang membership is a serious problem affec ting many youths in America. Per the National Youth Gang Survey by the U.S. Justice Department puts the number of youths in gangs at only about 302,000. But a 2015 study by G. Gately found that there are more than 1 million youth gang members. Many youth gang members join around 12 and 13 years old, peaking at 14 years of age (Tara Young, 2014). This review will detail the main reasons youths enter gangs, outreach programs that are making a differenceRead MoreYouth Gangs In Canada886 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Youth gangs in Canada is becoming more and more of issue. Adolescents across Canada resort to joining youth gangs for many different reasons. A youth gang is a group of young adolescents who use intimidation and violence to gain prestige among other gangs and control certain areas of unlawful activities. For all the reasons an adolescent would join a youth gang, police and the Government have come up with programs to prevent youth from joining and to get them to leave the gangs. With programsRead MoreJuvenile criminal gangs have long been a significant issue with the criminal justice establishment.1100 Words   |  5 PagesJuvenile criminal gangs have long been a significant issue with the criminal justice establishment. Youths coming together to commit criminal acts normally attributed to adult and more vicious criminal organizations are now being routinely committed by juveniles. The reasons for these youths in committing the activities have somewhat baffled author tries as well a s scholars and researchers. It must be noted however, that juvenile delinquency is not new; laws in the past have sought to control theRead MoreThe Is A Gang And His Article Develops A Convincing Argument1640 Words   |  7 Pages Ludeke believes MLO is a gang and his article develops a convincing argument. According to the STEP Act, a gang is: Any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons . . . having as one of its primary activities the commission of one or more of the criminal acts enumerated in paragraphs (1) to (25), inclusive, or (31) to (33), inclusive, of subdivision (e), having a common name or common identifying sign or symbol, and whose members individually or collectively engage inRead MoreA Formal Description For A Youth Gang1503 Words   |  7 Pagesinto groups that society often refers to as gangs. It is accurate to say that gangs contribute immensely to crime and delinquency however, to say that this is the purpose of all gangs would be misleading. Gangs should instead be seen as existing on a continuum, some ranging from groups of peers who spend time together and may get into trouble, to others who participate in more serious crimes (Gorden, 2000, p. 4). In terms of a specific definition for a gang, there really is not one that has been fullyRead MoreThe Sociological Theory Of A Gang Membership And Gang Violence1615 Words   |  7 PagesIn recent years gang membership and gang violence have increased. Why are the youth in America turning to gangs and why has violence increased within the gangs? Is it based on their socioeconomic status within their neighborhood? Is it the need to belong? Is it the need to establish who is in control of the neighborhood? Or is it the lack of good parental role models within the home? The sociological theory that I’m basing my research on is functionalism. Functionalism is a framework that definesRead Morere various reasons behind young people joining street gangs. One of the reasons young people800 Words   |  4 Pagesre 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 â€Å"delinquency emerges in neighborhoods where neighborhood relation and social institutions have broken down and can no longer maintain effective social controls (Bell, 2007).† Social DisorganizationRead MoreYouth Gang Membership And It s Implication Adolescent Development Essay1566 Words   |  7 Pagesover 700,000 adolescents who are involved in youth gangs. (Thomas). America has a youth gang culture that is present in its society. This paper will focus on youth gang membership and it’s implication to adolescent development. First to be discussed will be the demographics of adolescents involved in gangs. Then the reasons why youth join gangs and how it is related to their natural development. Next, we will turn to contempl ate the implication of gang culture and involvement in America’s public