Gang Violence Essay

became a part of what was then known as the "Chicago Project": whose basic goals were to improve the life of inner-city youth, such as the gang members.

He and a friend would play a game. They would pose as gang members to be cool.

In society today, there is a major problem We live in a society where gangs are taking over our neighborhoods in numbers. It is the responsibility of the individuals to part take in getting their neighborhoods back under control. Gangs are becoming a growing problem in American society. More young people are turning to gangs to solve problems in their lives or for acceptance. When youths join gangs, they drop all their social activities with school, family, and friends. However, individuals ruin their lives, and the chances of them having a decent education, and a successful life by getting involved in gang activity.

Deviant acts cannot be discussed without taking into account culture, perspective, and religion. Every culture is known for their types of expressions though tattooing, piercings, and body modification. Asian gangs such as the Yakuza are known for their full body tattoos, while African tribes can be associated with wearing rings that stretch their necks. Often, these types of tattooing and body modifications are seen as a sign of beauty or a sign of respect. In the United States, tattooing, piercings, and body modifications are becoming more acceptable, in moderation.

Gang involvement negatively affects the quality of life of the involved youth and surrounding communities. The criminal activities and violence surrounding gang membership often lead to imprisonment and/or death. Gang involvement discourages personal upward mobility through the avenue of education; instead, placing importance on group success.

Gangs originated naturally during the adolescent years of a child. They started from small play groups that eventually found themselves in conflict with other small groups of youth. Due to the conflict between the two small groups of youth it became a part of a child’s mind set to come together as a gang and protect their rights and satisfy the needs that their environment and families couldn’t provide. There are about 24,500 gangs in the U.S and out of those gangs 40% of them are juveniles (Hess, Orthmann, Wright, 2013). There are numerous reason why a child would join a gang, and the

During the 1970s and 1980s criminal street gangs were one of the most serious criminal offenses in California. A gang member is defined as “any person who actively participates in any gang with knowledge that its members engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity, and who willfully promotes, furthers, or assists in any felonious criminal conduct by members of that gang.” In the novel Monster: the Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur, the author depicts the life of Kody Scott, also known as Monster Kody. Kody grows up in Southern Los Angeles with his mom and five other siblings. At the age of eleven, Kody aspires to be a famous gangster.

Surenos are another popular gang in Fresno, most surenos are Mexican, Hispanic, or Latino. Their color to wear or represent is blue, therefore they will carry a blue rag with them most of the time. Tatoos they usually have are “south side”, the number 13, three dots (each dot stand for one word in “mi vida loca”), and when they have killed someone they will have a tear drop tattooed on the side of their eye. They will also use a rosary around there neck to show respect for god, but it is also something that represents the sureno gang in general.

This week I read chapter 5 of American street gangs (old book) Tim Deleany mentioned 3 points of what happens inside a gang that many don’t know, the first point is the categories they have based on the age the recruits are, the second point is the categories they are placed in depending on the activities they are involved, the third point is the process that involves the recruitment, punishment, and leaving the gang. At the conclusion of the paper I would be providing an experience my uncle went through when he was leaving the gang.

While they might sport the tattoos, the jackets, colors, and signs, often these members are only tangentially affiliated. According to much of the available literature, tattoos also serve as a badge of protection against coercion from other gangs (Jackson and McBride 1985). In the current study, tattoos signify a number of different and personal matters, only one of which gang membership and a warning to others.

The crips have most difficult identifiers due to location. The crips represent to the right by tilting there had to the right. They also wear blue colored laces on there right shoe. They are known to roll the right side of their pant leg up to. Crips in Minnesota replace words with “B” to a “C” as a sign of disrespect towards the bloods. The crips use a 6 point star to show life, loyalty, love, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Colors they represent include blue, gray, orange or purple bandanas or wave caps. Both gangs identify by a certain walk called “B walk” or “C

Many times individuals turn to a gang to escape a life of poverty or financial uncertainty. A sense of hopelessness and desperation can result from being unable to provide the basic necessities. “Young people living in poverty may find it difficult to meet basic physical and psychological needs, which can lead to a lack of self-worth and pride” (Lee, Dean, and Parker 1). Individuals who are faced with a lack of money many times turn to crime if they cannot earn enough at a legitimate job to support themselves or their families. “This partly explains why gangs exist in poor, rundown areas of cities” (Grabianowski 1).

Youths frequently use language, dress, musical tastes, along with other symbols to differentiate themselves using their company categories of adolescents. Gangs represent a definite kind of relationship and therefore have distinct symbols and traditions. These symbols are essential for the reason that they function as a method of determining fellow gang people and rival gang people. Additionally they be the method for attaining or maintaining status inside the gang.

The purpose of this paper is to review and verify a recent study by Scott H. Decker of the University of Missouri – St. Louis, entitled Collective and Normative Features in Gang Violence (Decker & VanWinkle, 1996). The study will attempt to address why our local increase in gang violence has reached monumental heights causing an increase in gang members appearing your court.

Street gangs in this country can probably be traced back to the first wave of Europeans who migrated to the colonies for a better life for themselves and their families. Many of the first gangs were formed as a means of self protection, with the thinking that there is simply strength in numbers. The missions of gangs in today’s society have grown and emerged to include many violent criminal avenues, including drug trafficking, prostitution, money laundering, and extortion but the original thinking that there is strength in numbers remains true. Criminology experts believe that the number of teens involved in gangs or gang activity may be as high as 1 in every 5 people in most urban areas. Those number jump to 1 in every 3 people in