Brothers In Arms: Gang Violence

Youth gang violence has turned into an unmistakable issue in the public eye reaching across national boundaries as well as socio-economic, cultural, racial, and class distinctions. Not only is the problem widely dispersed geographically, but its incidence is also extensive, making it a common, acknowledged, and a mainstream behavior for many teens. Gang activity is extremely common in lower income neighborhoods and ethnic ghettos where underprivileged children are regularly recruited. Youth gang violence has always been an issue in the United States since the 1950’s but many crime analysts tended to overlook the problem of youth gang violence in major cities due to historical events such as the Korean War, U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation was illegal in the Brown v. Board of Education decision, and the Civil Rights Movement. The first nationwide study undertaken of the nature and extent of gang violence was reported by Walter B. Miller. Miller whose study concentrated primarily on the increase of gang violence and four major motives such as respect, guarding local communities, control, and gain the of monetary goods.

I have observed that individuals and communities, and institutions think that poverty, gang violence and child abuse is what represent who you are and where you belong. Going through poverty, gang violence and child abuse would lead individuals in the wrong direction in life. When an individual or a communities see a gang member or someone they don’t care about that person because they say once you’re in the hole it hard to come back out. I just think it wrong for individuals and communities to judge people the way they do. People are the way they for a reason. Everybody has a kind heart. They made not seem like they do but they do. Their mostly likely that because there not given love or support. Like in the story said they in need of attention.

This paper deals with gang violence in the city of Chicago since the beginning of time. It takes a deep look into the history of Chicago gangs and how they interact today. Also the past problems the City of Chicago made when dealing with gangs and the problems that gangs today have and how Chicago has the worst gang problem in the country. Also how gangs have turned themselves into big, and lucrative enterprises most known for money. Also stated are possible solutions to stop or reduce violence of the gangs that all start off with teaching the young kids about gangs and gang prevention.

Gangs in the United States have increased rapidly, and are becoming more violent and deadly than ever. There are deaths of innocent, young, and gang affiliated people dying each year. This everyday occurrence brings moral and heart felt emotions to these death tragedies. These gangs are corrupting our streets and neighborhoods of America, which is something that is needed to be stopped. All members get introduced and jumped in for a reason, a reason of family, trust, acceptance, and respect which threatens many people today. Every year gang violence is proposed in which it should be prevented in today’s public because they have the urge to be involved with conflicts based on rivalries over reputation and turf, compensates on creating a lot of violence where innocent people are being killed, participate in drug trafficking, and encourages the youth to get involved and join a group of affiliated crime.

Gang crimes is one of the main issues in our community and what the residents in most areas in the united states are currently worried about one thing in mind about gangs and one of the answers is violence that incudes drive by shootout in their neighborhoods due to rival gangs coming on other gang’s territory for financial reasons for example like getting people in that area to pay protection money or sell drugs ,recruiting and to gain more ground and parents today are worried for the safety of their kids when they go to school and out while waiting for the bus to come and pick them up every day. Gangs today in our modern society have four important dimensions’ age, size, commitment and attraction.

Gang Violence has been seen throughout the nation. From Compton with the now infamous Bloods and Crips to the Gangster Disciples that were born in South side of Chicago. Its been studied and shown that one of the underlying issues of gangs and gang violence is that they form in impoverished neighborhoods. Theoretically bundled within these "neighborhood effects are institutions’ and actors’ social networks that are the foundation of other neighborhood-level processes such as social control, mobilization, and cultural assimilation" (Papachristos, 2013, p. 417). This notion of geography creating more crime in certain areas is true to a certain extent. Whereas most people look towards Chicago or Los Angeles

Gangs, murder, drugs, police, assault, robberies, are the things that a youth in a gang has to go through on a daily basis. From seeing their friends being killed by the police to seeing their fathers leaving, these youths have a rough life. No one should live the lives that these kids have to go through. In Luis Rodriguez’ memoir Hearts and Hands Creating Community in Violent Times, Rodriguez takes the reader into the lives of multiple youths who have past connections with gangs. Rodriguez tells us about how we have to create relationships with these youths because many of them do not have any relationships. Most of them go to gangs to seeking these relationships since everyone has given up on them. Rodriguez works alone and oftentimes has

Where does crime come from? I ask myself time, a time again. Over the years the crime rate has grown excessively. If it’s not law enforcement using excessive force on us, it’s gang’s members killing their own. Could it be due to growing up without one parent that had played a part of destruction? The fact that maybe the child was abused. Maybe people just want to be followers instead of leaders. This is an issue that brings concerns to me. How can we continue to have children in a society that’s not safe?

The subject of gang violence produces strong thoughts and emotions in a lot of people like citizens, police officers and the victims who witness these crimes take place. Gang members are aware of the public feelings about their crimes, but they do not give any regard because they are fused in their own culture. In large cities all over the world whether they be third world or industrialized municipalities gangs are a real and often times are an overwhelming terror. While there are many theories that discuss entry into gangs, there is not a lot that go into detail about the gang confrontations, feuds, and culture. Those that actually only venture on how individuals leave gangs. Many theorist do not analysis, explain, and or offer a detail examination

Gang crimes, such as graffiti, burglaries, murder and extortion, are devastating to a community’s well-being and sense of security. “The vast majority of violent incidents involving gang members continue to result from fights over

The overall theme of the study depicts overall “mechanisms and processes that result in the spread and escalation of gang violence” (Pope, Lovell & Brandl, 2001, p. 160). This was achieved by the author by directing his studies on ‘contagion as an aspect of collective behavior that produces expressive gang violence” researchers of this study did this by focusing on “contagion as an aspect of collective behavior that produces expressive gang violence (Pope, Lovell & Brandl, 2001, p. 161). ‘Contagion’ is defined as ‘subsequent acts of violence caused by an initial act; such acts typically take the form of retaliation” (Pope, Lovell & Brandl, 2001, p. 163). These gang related acts can take the form of games, fights, meeting and sometimes homicide. It can also be said that all gang behavior is committed as a group. It then follows that this behavior can safely be categorized as ‘collective’ or grouped behavior. Often times a designated

Gang and gang violence has always been an ongoing problem within the country. Street gangs have evolved into some of the most notorious group associated with murders and killings that law enforcement agencies have encountered. Gang violence has become one of the most serious crime problem happening in the country that involves physical assaults, drive-by shootings, homicides, robberies, prostitutions, and home-invasion along with a long list of criminal activities. It had occurred and multiplied so fast in which it reach an all-time high epidemic of young gang people killed on the streets or entering into the juvenile and prison system throughout the country. Such death occurs on a daily basis especially in the inner cities that are

As shown in Laura Schroff’s “An Invisible Thread”, Events caused by gang violence have proven to be a way of tearing apart families and harming people far past those of the gang victims through increasing crime rates, reducing the education of teens, and increasing the impact of problems such as drugs abuse.As long as gangs exist in the United States the crime rates will continue to climb as more and more people rush to join this violence.Existing gangs in the united states continue to “Threaten The public safety”, especially in urban areas where there is a surplus of teenage aged children ready to join. (National Gang Center)Constantly, gang members, such as Maurice's father in “An Invisible Thread” can further cause problems is public safety and community tranquility.Many times these acts of violence can lead to the disturbance of innocent peoples lives further victimizing them.Urbanized areas such as Maurices hometown of New York remain to be “The largest Concentration” of gang crime. (National Gang Center).These large amounts of gang memberships in these cities can have a negative effect on the lives of children and teenagers in these areas, who can fall victim to these crimes.These concentrations of gang membership can have the biggest effects on kids such as Maurice who can often find themselves the most exposed to these crimes.In the city of New York alone multiple gangs have been suspected for “several high-profile killings”. (MICHAEL BALSAMO - Associated Press)Crimes such as these can most often have the biggest effect on the homeless such as Maurice from “An Invisible Thread”.Killings like these, especially in highly populated cities can continues to lead to gang involvement in teenagers; further increasing the sizes of these violent gang activities.As violence continues In the streets of these cities it will further increase crime rates as more people rush to join these events.One of the many other effects that these gangs have had on society in many of these cities is that on Education as they target the youth as their new members.One of the many problems that can lead to these educational problems is the influence of “poor parenting” (Gangs- Lewis Yablonsky).The Influence of parents in education

The presence of gang violence has plagued the United States for many years. Although it is more active in some parts of the country than others, gang violence affects every American: either monetarily as a taxpayer or directly as a victim. Regardless, it is a concern of every individual; therefore, the criminal justice system has been addressing it for years in different ways. The approach of emphasizing harsh punishments has been implemented for quite some time now and it remains to be an accepted tactic. Despite its popularity, the implementation of harsh punishments has been shown to be counterproductive. It continues to spread ignorance, which is eluded by politicians and the

Joanou’s (2006) Movie Gridiron Gang relates to Hard and Lazloffy (2005) information regarding youth involved in gangs’ memberships. According to Hard and Lazloffy (2005) the amount of youth involved in gangs has amplified considerably over the years, which has also contributed to the escalation in homicides, aggravated assaults, rapes and other forms of violence types of adolescents’ crimes rates. According to Joanou (2006), most of the adolescents inmates at Camp Kilpartick where gang members that committed some type of crime that involved violence. Also according to Hard and Lazloffy (2005), most young teens join gangs because they offer a buffer against violence, but the buffer against violence comes with the price of them having to commit crimes, which creates an unending vicious cycle of violence, and this cycle of violence is seen throughout Joanou’s (2006) movie.