Gang Violence Case Study

Statistics Canada has done research on identifying the facts that are contributed to the definition of a youth gang member. Partnered with the Montreal Police Service, Statistics Canada was able to generate the definition of a gang member: "An organized group of adolescents and/or young adults who rely on group intimidation and violence, and commit criminal acts in order to gain power and recognition and/or control certain areas of unlawful activity [2] (Statistics Canada, 2008).

Socioeconomic status (SES): Someone with a low-level education, low-income, and demanding occupation will most likely live in a neighborhood with high gang and drug activity. Immigrants generally have a low educational status. Therefore, a low socioeconomic status is directly related with low-income, dangerous communities.

I believe there are numerous factors that contribute to the gang violence that affects so many communities around the world. The fact that humans are not able to self regulate much of their behavior plays a major part. Control by others takes place before control by self. This means that everybody is taking their initial cues to change or modify their behavior, from an outside source. I believe that low self esteem is a factor in the decision to join a gang. I also believe that lower intelligence can make a person more likely to join a gang. It is easier for somebody with a lower intelligence to succumb to the positive reinforcements that are provided by gang membership. These include; money, praise, and friendship. Many gang members do not

In the US, the crime rate has been growing at a high rate and they are estimated to be more than one million, with the majority residing in both California and Los Angeles. Majority of the gang groups are made up of the youth. Most young people join gangs in order to acquire companionship, love, coupled with some forces that can be grouped into social, economic and cultural in nature as they struggle to define themselves and their place

Gangs continue to be a growing problem in the United States. Gangs pose danger not only to society as a whole but to children in particular. According to the Executive Summary: Changing Course prepared by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “nearly one in 12 young people said they belonged to a gang at some point during their teenage years” (Ritter, Simon, &Mahendra, n.d.). Despite the dangerous and criminal activities that gangs participate in, children as young as 11 and 12 become involved in gangs which makes early prevention absolutely vital.

Tara described her primary home with her mother and two brothers prior to being forced out at the age of 11 as living in the “ projects” with gang violence present in the neighborhoods. After moving to her aunts until the age of 13, Tara has had an unstable living environment living in three different foster homes of which she ran away from and now the residential facility that she currently resides at is closing and she will be moved to larger residential facility. There is a concern about Tara being overwhelmed in this new facility due to its reputation of dealing with youth that have severe behavioral problems such as drug use and violence.

The Office of of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) established in 1980’s has developed, funded, and evaluated community-based anti-gang programs that direct prevention, intervention, enforcement, and reentry strategies. Knowing that that street gang behavior goes beyond member ages, in October 2009, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) merged its existing resources to create a new National Gang Center (NGC). By developing a comprehensive approach to reduce gang involvement and gang crime, the NGC is the single most resourceful entity by providing information to policymakers; law enforcement; researchers; training; and technical assistance and resources to practitioners and the public on a national level. The Departments

Youth participation in gangs actually decreased from 1996 to 2004, but the violence within these gangs has not. Homicides committed by youth gang members still remain as a monumental problem across the United States of America. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported in its 2004 survey of youth gangs that there were an estimated 760,000 gang members that year. Many of the kids affiliated with gangs come from lower income, single parent homes; therefore, the youths of America often turn to gangs to fill the void of not being part of a “family”. To combat this problem and save our youth from a life of malfeasance, the people of the communities of America must take a stand against the negative influences that impact

Almost all research spoke about the increase in gang violence “Gangs grew dramatically in the United States during the 1990s.” (Braga; Decker, 2007), and that any proposed program was a direct response to a growing gang community ( problem).

What is a gang? The article “Sexual Access to Females as a Motivation For Joining Gangs: An Evolutionary Approach” gave the following definition:

Give the definition of gang activity, what it actually is compared to the world’s stereotypical view of members

As commander of the gang unit, it is my responsibility to enhance the control on youth gang violence. I would like to take the steps to ensure that the community is safe and decreasing the amount of teen deaths due to senseless violence. Today’s gangs contribute to higher violent crime rates ( Hoover, L.T, 2014 ).Over the past few decades, social scientists have made great strides in uncovering the causes and correlates of youth violence.Some practices that i would like to introduce to the city would be advocating and organizing strategies that support and facilitate where violence usually occurs. Working with different advocate programs to promote safe environments in the school as well as the homes of children. Being able to fully implement

As the head administrator of a juvenile’s detention facility I would do everything in my power to reduce gangs from spreading. The first thing I would do, to help prevent gang violence from spreading would be to come up with a program to send all schools and communities that already have a high gang rate. The programs would help juveniles realize that there is more to life than being in a gang, I would also have life coaches available to all students. The life coaches would be available to help students plan out their lives by helping them make the right choices. Since the majority of “youth are at higher risk of joining a gang if they engage in delinquent behaviors, are aggressive or violent, experience multiple caretaker transitions, have

Gang related violence is rising in England and Wales moreover gangs are becoming more aggressive in their attempts to control large parts of cities across the country. Efforts to control their territory are blamed for the rise in gun and knife related crime which has risen by 14 per cent in recent years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a 27 per cent increase in all violent crime in 2016. Young people are more likely to carry knives and resort to violent behaviour. However, the Conservative Government cut front line police by 17,000 which has seen fewer police on the streets of cities across England and Wales (Morris, 2016).

Before I could dive into the gang sub culture I had to ask the obvious question. What is a gang? A gang is a group of people who want to be seen as different from others and want others to perceive them as a distinct group. This group is organized, has leadership, and is committing criminal acts in the community. Gangs have been in existence for as long as there have been inhabitants of this world. Even the word "Thug" dates back to India in 1200 Ad as a word they used to describe a gang of criminals. In the United States we grew up with a different kind of thug, like pirates and gangsters, therefore, gangs, undoubtedly, are not a new concept. For decades, these gangsters weren't thought of as "all that bad." In fact they may have been loved by the community, or the public as a whole. I feel this is a major part of the reason why teens join gangs. The Media glorification of Al Capone and Lucky Luciano made men like Elliot Ness seem like one of the "bad guys." Being apart of something bigger than them maybe also what attracts teens to gangs. Just the thought of being a part of something bigger than them makes some teens salivate. Teens who come from houses where there might be an adult with a drug problem or something of that nature are more prone to join a gang than someone who lives with both parents in a somewhat normal home. The family aspect of the gang is almost like a