Gang Membership: Risk Factors for Joining and Effects on Offending Trajectories

Why Youth join Gangs Annabel Oromoni 1001978381 SOC 205: Theories in Criminology January 22, 2016 Gang involvement is an activity that happens over time. There is a certain sense of fear and need for swift action associated with the public's notion of gang. This paper argues that youth join gangs because of parental influences,

In order to define the nature and scope of juvenile antisocial behavior we must determine that “gangs are variable, diverse and difficult to define in precise terms” (White, 2007) and that “adolescent antisocial behavior is an issue of major concern to parents, teachers, police and governments and is a significant cost to the

Youth Gangs Push and Pull Factors Arjun Sharma SOC101Y Friday, November 23, 2012 Ms. Fulton Youth Gangs Push and Pull factors in America 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.

Abstract: This paper will discuss the correlation of youth gangs and how the cognitive and social learning theory comes in to play, and why female and male juveniles end up in the system. It will touch bases on how youth surroundings have a lot to do with the decisions they

Criminological and Gang MembershipApril SmolkowiczGeorgia Gwinnett CollegeCriminological and Gang MembershipSocial scientists have researched and documented empirical findings of the many one-of-a-kind influential factors of formative years gang and non-gang involvement across the United States. While it is now not feasible to predict whether or not a younger man or woman will be a section of a gang, possession of certain danger elements can extend the probability.Social Leaning Theory Article One The motive of this paper is to analyze adolescence gang and non-gang attitudes and behaviors with the social learning idea factors and its possibility of predicting youths self-reporting of gang membership, explicitly with the ethnicity of “Hispanics’ and Anglos, of eight-grade college students in two southwestern cities”. The lookup article is empirical that meets the requirements of the capstone mission with the gaining of understanding on the difficulty of adolescence gang and non-gang membership attitudes and behaviors. The hypothetical context is primarily based absolutely on comparing key variables of the social learning theory, advantageous reinforcers, terrible punishers, and indications of differential definitions.The lookup method of cross-sectional quantitative records is used, that is then recoded systematically and equipped to be entered into a pc database. This evaluation will serve as an additional evaluation with the previous longitudinal information that is used

Gangs continue to be an issue throughout the United States especially street gangs. These gangs are meticulous and organized on how they do things, but also how they target youth. There are many suggestions and studies that show the differences in youth who are involved in gangs versus those

The primary risk factors for gang involvement come from environmental influences. "Studies have examined the effects of gender, race, and age as predictors of gang entry. In addition, family factors such as structure, income, socioeconomic status, and parental attachment also influence gang membership" (Vito & Kunselman 372). Unfortunately

A large number of studies suggest that gang-affiliation can be linked through shared risk factors, such as adverse childhood experiences (Sampson & Laub, 1993; Huff, 2002; BMC Medicine, 2014; Public Health England, 2015; Anda et al, 2005). Adverse childhood experiences are stressful occurrences during childhood that affect a child’s living environment (e.g. substance abuse, domestic violence etc.), or that directly affects a child (e.g. child malnourishment) (Public Health England, 2015). Experiences of this nature can increase the risk of obtaining detrimental behaviours, this is because they can have a major influence on a child’s social and emotional development; thus, leading to negative outcomes in later life (Bellis et al, 2014). Further,

When examining and analyzing gangs and their social meshwork, it is without a doubt that gangs are seen by the majority as social pests in the community. As a whole, these numerous gangs throughout the country are more than just a bunch of criminals covered in tattoos, they are people, with feelings, who just need positivity in their lives. Most gang members, living in impoverish conditions, grew up in households were they were abused, unloved, and neglected. They grow up with no positive social support and become accustom to violence and negativity. More often than not, these children grow up in family’s were gang life is the only life they know, because their family members are gang members as well. They witness domestic abuse, and disarray, and a large majority grow up in households were a father figure is nowhere to be found. Mostly raised by single mothers, these children become hyper-masculine, and feel the need to make up for not having a father, and also because gang life is masculinized by violence and gang-banging. They come to believe that violence is normal and all of this creates a domino effect of involvement into gang life. With no social support, and no clear direction, children take it amongst themselves to find a connection with anyone willing to show them some sort of family structure. Impressionable children find themselves turning to gang life as a means to have that sense of family they never had. In a gang they feel that they are protected and feel in

Throughout society, gangs and gang affiliation have become a major issue in society for a substantial amount of time. As gang activity has become a common threat in society today, determining the reasoning behind individuals partaking in this crime holds great significance. Based off studies, it has been shown that

In modern society juvenile delinquency has been an issue engaged in by minors. More and more adolescents are committing delinquent crimes. Delinquency can be seen as the direct result of negative affective states. Gangs are a group of youths who collectively engage in delinquent behavior. Peer groups can provide a lot of social and emotional support for anti-social activities. Peer relations, in all cultures have been linked to adolescent behavior choices including substance abuse and delinquency. Currently there are now more than eight hundred thousand gang members in the United States and twenty four thousand gangs. In order to stop a behavior, it is great to understand what behaviors take place within the gang and also which will lead to resolve gang activity (Shoemaker, 2013).

Gang membership accounts for the rising number of youth and street gangs since the 1950’s, since the development of gangs globally, especially in New Zealand there are significant factors that influences becoming a gang member. There is a range of social and psychological factors that underpin and gain insight into the dynamic gang structure of gangs and how this influences others to become involved in gangs. Research has noted there are push and pull factors that are associated with the theory of ‘multiple marginality’ this theory tackles how groups feel after being left on the boundaries of society, therefore has encouraged them to become involved in deviant behavior. The growth in predominantly Maori gangs such as the Mongrel Mob and Black Power through the 1960’s and 1970’s has caused contrservesity whether ‘multiple marginality’ impacts and is responsible for this issue. However there is no single reason for gang membership, having the ability to understand how the role of social and psychological factors impact the rise in gang membership in New Zealand, is needed to address this concern it is key aspect in addressing the development of present gangs and why they are becoming more dominant in society.

Many youth that are or have experienced the many characteristics, such as distinctive traits, delinquent behavior, and early childhood experiences that are associated with delinquency, are known as risk factors, can be analyzed to understand why they may resort to joining a gang. Some of these risk factors are individual, family, peers, and environment, all of which can influence negative consequences and make the juvenile more susceptible to delinquent behavior. Youth experiencing some of these risk factors are considered at-risk-youth, and are more likely to consider participating or being associated with a gang. These risk factors contribute to the great prevalence of juvenile participation in gangs throughout the United States of America, as well as the entire world. Participants and offenders can range from any ethnicity, gender, and age.

Gangs are very appealing to youth where gangs thrive because they fulfill the need for attention and the need to belong. Identity can be gained in the gang culture along with friendships and the closeness that lacks in a child’s home. Gangs fulfill survival functions for youths by becoming family and earning living through illicit activity. (Hess, 2011) There are many theories and methods that can be used in the situation of disorderly youth.

Since the beginning of the decade, teenage homicides increased by one hundred and fifty percent (Strout, Brian 1996). This sharp increase is largely due to the rapid formation of gang activity throughout the United States (Strout, Brian, 1996). In today's larger cities, gang violence is a reality that people have to deal with every day. As gang related crimes increase, officials are trying to find out why people join and remain loyal to gangs. Unfortunately, experts can only hypothesize explanations for gang involvement. However, by studying societys influence on humans, there is evidence to blame several forces. These speculations include the forces of peer pressure, broken families, gang loyalty, protection, and the media. First of all, most teens become attracted to gangs by peer pressure and greed. Estimamates show that forty percent of all gang members joined because their friends influenced them (Solution for a new year 1996). Teen gangsters will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it sound glamorous. Recruiters will often promise popularity in exchange for their loyalty. Although most gang members find popularity, it often means losing close friends to rival gangs. Another crucial factor is the need for money. A 6 year old kid,