Analyse The Factors That Influence Gang Membership

Gangs have been a growing issue across the United States for many decades now. Youth gang violence may have started around the ‘50s, but did not become a serious issue until the ‘80s and from there went through a downward spiral in some cities like downtown Los Angeles, which was where the notorious Bloods and Crips gangs both started. First, let’s simply define a gang as a group of people, mostly men ranging for ages 14-30, who claim territory and use it to make money for themselves and their neighborhood through illegal activities such as trafficking drugs and weapons. There are many reasons and components that are factored in when conducting research to hypothesize “why do people join gangs?” That is why it is necessary to compare and contrast all the social, biological, psychological, developmental, and substance abuse aspects and relate it to joining a gang. It is also important to touch base on the differences between males and females that join gangs, such as power differentials, social learning differences and social stratification differences.

When individuals decided to get involve in those type of activities many of them do it for specific reasons. For example, people join gang for acceptance, protection, and some are forced into it, because of their family are gang affiliated. Gangs partake endlessly in finding different method for individuals to more effectively get the things they want, particularly power. Therefore, people that are easily influenced tends to gravitate toward gang activities for recognition in the community. According to Goldman, Giles, & Hogg (2014), “Gang members’ actions impact other gang members as well as the wider community; everyone is at risk of being a victim of gang violence” (p. 825). Gang violence goes further than racial issue, but it more intensely touches African American and Latino communities.

Although non-gang members may also participate in risky activities like binge drinking, marijuana use, and drug selling, gang affiliation greatly increases exposure and likelihood to partake in these activities. Studies show that “early alcohol use and early marijuana use are both identified risk factors for joining a gang among adolescents” (Swahn et. al 354). Youth gang members are also exposed to hard drugs because of gang involvement in the illegal drug market. Many youth gang members in these

What influences youth to join and leave gangs in America? This essay strives to seek and inquire an answer or explanation to this question. I will try to approach the answer to this question by analyzing the biggest factors of it such as the influence of social institutions, psychological behaviour, media and many more to determine the push and pull factors of a gang. Understanding that the dynamics of gang membership can be separated into formation & joining which will allow theories & methods of gang-related research to be refined.

Alleyne, Emma & Wood, Jane L., (2011). Gang Involvement: Social and Environment Factors. Crime and Delinquency 60 (4) 547-568.

Many years of research have gone into studying why youth turns to gang involvement. A sector of this population has only recently been a focus of any study at all and that is the female. From the authors De La Rue, Espelage research they estimate that female gang membership is anywhere from 10 to 35% of the total gang population (De La Rue, Espelage 2014 pg. 1). There are many pieces that drive females to join the gang lifestyle. There are three major causes that drive females to gang involvement; family influences, relationship drives, and prior victimization.

Joining gangs is a way to make friends and belong to a group where you are accepted by most (if not all) its members. A young female without friends is a prisoner in her own world, there is no consistent interaction with people and often feel like they are living a miserable life. The fun and wildness of gang membership are also an attraction for females, being able to have fun, go out to parties, trying out different drugs, doing careless things, and the adrenaline of doing bad things and not getting caught is very fun for most female gangsters (Carrasco, 1999). Gang membership offer females an opportunity to experience new things and be accepted by people who will not be just consider your friends but instead your brothers and sisters.

Thus, as more girls are getting involved or pressure into gangs because of their neighborhoods or delinquency behavior; there are other factors that are involved increasing the rise of gang membership like: the neighborhood they live, their delinquent behavior, family, victimization, and education however, there are girls that join but resist gang involvement.

The Difference Between Female’s Entrance v.s. Exit in Male Gangs The literature on women involvement in gangs has expanded over the years. Out of the limited amount of information collected on the topic, there has been an extensive amount dedicated to why females join and leave male gangs. According to Hagedorn (1998), motherhood is the number one determining factor why females leave gangs. Some of the values of gangs that causes females to enter male-dominated gangs may change once she becomes pregnant.

But what are the risk factors? Some argue that gang formation is a product of the postindustrial development. That gangs are a mixture of racism, urban underclass poverty, of minority and youth culture. And that youth gangs in particular are products of their environment and these factors are associated with why juveniles join gangs. The following are elements of risk factors associated with gang membership. That are split up into 5 domains individual and family demographics, personal attributes, peer-group, school, and the community.

Abstract: This review studies in depth research done on street gangs. Social issues have social scientists turning away from including this in their research around this time. Sociological views have been changed dramatically in the past 40 years due to gender and racial studies. Also, women have started to join gangs since America has been changed with woman equality laws passing.

Gangs have direct effects on a society, such as increased levels of crime, violence and murder. Gangs also have long-term or late suggestions in that gang members are more likely to drop out of high school, struggle with unemployment, abuse drugs and alcohol or in end up in jail. These factors not only contribute to the gang members, but they also force taxpayers to pay for welfare and community-assistance programs. Common reasons for the younger generation to join gangs, include trying to find a place where they belong and sharing in mutual desires for safety from family problems or life challenges. Together, the feelings and attitudes among gang members haze them to act violently, often self-contradictory with rival gangs. This violence leads to injury and death of not only members but also of bystanders in the community. High gang activity also causes fear among community members, discourages business activity and obstructs home-value appreciation. Communities, also must pay for higher levels of law enforcement when gangs are prominent.

There were three common factors across St. Louis and Columbus that influenced girls to join gangs: gang involved family members, problems in the family, and neighborhood exposure. Many girls grew up in neighborhoods with high levels of gang activity. With gang members right outside their doorsteps, it was near impossible for some girls to avoid being swept into the gang life. Inevitably, the gang girls would have to

The term youth gangs refers to a group of three or more members, who are between the age of 12 and 24; they share an identity through the use of names or symbols; they see themselves as gang and are recognized by others as a gang; there is some amount of permanence and degree of organization; and the group is involved in an elevated amount of criminal activity (National Gang Center Staff, n.d.). Risk factors for gang involvement are based on factors such as individual, family, school, community. School risk factors include poor school performance, poor connectedness to schools, low degree of commitment to and involvement in school, and weak attachment to teachers (Howell, 2010). Community risk factors includes such things as greater level of criminal activity, neighborhood youth are involved in illegal behaviors, widespread access to and the use of firearms and drugs, and low level of neighborhood attachment (Howell, 2010). Additional factors that lead to gang involvement include learning disabilities and emotional disorders, school failure and truancy, no positive involvement outside of school, friends and peers are delinquent, low income, and early involvement in petty crimes and behavioral disorders in grade school (Hernandez, 2015). Reasons given for joining a gang as reported by youths includes for protection, for fun, for respect, for money, family members are part of the gang (and because a friend was in the gang (Howell, 2010).

I think it 's necessary to start here from the initial motivations and reasons for joining the gang. Those are, through might be similar for both genders in some cases, overall female has different reasons to engage in a gang than male. And often those reasons are more complex than just “the problems of adolescent maladjustment or teenage rebellion.” (Hunt et al._2000)