Essay on Gangs

Initially gang activity could only be found in large metropolitan cities, but now gangs have invaded neighborhoods of all sizes across the country. Gangs introduce violence and fear to the communities they occupy, raise the level of drug activities, and destroy businesses and property which brings down the overall value of the whole area. Instead of going to school, many young people find themselves drawn in to the gang life which in most cases either leads to being locked up or death. There are various reasons why people would want to join a gang, but no matter what that reason might be one can only expect a life of violence and troubles.

‘The novel, ‘The Outsiders’ shows that being part of a gang can give you a sense of family and belonging’.

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

Furthermore, the book, Youth Gangs in American Society by Randall Shelden, Sharon Tracy, and William Brown (2013) discusses several theories about why people join gangs. One theory that I think especially fits the explanation as to why people join gangs, with regards to this book, is the control/social bond theory. Shelden et al define control/social bong theory as “when a youth’s, bonds or ties, to society are weak or broken, especially with family, school and other institutions, when this occurs, a youth is apt to seek bonds with other groups, including gangs, in order to get his or her needs met”(p 193). I think so many groups in society let this boy down in My Bloody Life, including his family, the school system and even the police. Consequently with his ties to society so weak, he reached out to a gang that gave him a sense of comfort and belonging.

     If you live in a neighborhood where there are lots of gangs, then you need to be in a gang or move to a better neighborhood. If you have gangs in your neighborhood you will need protection from someone like police or join another gang. If you don’t have protection you will get beaten down. For example, when Luis and his brother Rano went to a store to get some grocery, few gang members beat Rano up and tried to rob him. So if Luis joins a gang he get protection from his member friends. Also in a tough neighborhood like Luis’s its not hard to join a gang because there are gangs all over the area and somehow you will end up in a gang just like Luis and his friends. In addition, violence has increased a lot more then before. Before gangs used to fight with their fist and knives, but today almost every gang member has a gun. Also there are fights almost every day between gangs whether you are in school, work, or on the street.

Today kids join gangs because they want a sense of being accepted. Being unpopular as an adolescent is tough because they feel unwanted, misunderstood, feel like they don’t belong. Kids will do anything to gain the attention from their peers and will continue to do it just to feel like they belong and feel accepted. I’ve witnessed a friend joined a gang just because their older brothers have done the same and want to be just like them. I’ve seen classmates who recently just migrated to the United States and instantly

Gangs are becoming prevalent in today’s society and within our schools. More and more young people are turning to gangs in an attempt to escape their everyday lives and the future, which they perceive as dismal and bleak. They are initially attracted to the prestige and cash flow, which is glamorized by the street gang. Many gangs are actively involved in criminal misconduct, such as drug and gun trafficking, burglaries and homicides. However, street gangs are not just a criminal justice issue, but a social problem, which is triggered by poverty, peer pressure, boredom, despair and lacking a sense of belonging.

Some youth grow up in an area where gangs are a way of life. Being in a gang can be seen as a way to earn money or many other things that may be needed. Members may feel as if they get better shelter, clothing and overall a better lifestyle by joining a gang mainly because they feel as if they can depend on other members to provide them with what they need, in order to feel a type of success and to feel as though they have status. Being apart of a group like this gives them a sense of honour and may give them the feeling of meaning on their life to be a part of something. They may also take pleasure in being feared around people in this way they feel as though they cannot be downgraded back to the low class that they originated

Many individuals become what they are because of the people around them and the people who influence them with violence and gangs. “They join because in the gang they find a group of teenagers that they feel something in common with.” Many kids want to fit in with society. They see that a lot of their friends involved with gangs so they choose also to do it. They might have been raised differently to grow up, but reality morphed for these individuals and became apart of gang violence to suit their group of

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

Around the age of 13 or 14 most young males start hanging with the wrong crowd and get involved in suspicious activity. Like skipping school, doing drugs, having sex at a young age, getting suspended, being kicked out of school, coming home past your curfew. It’s not just young males it can involve females around that age as well. Females tend to fight like myself, they tend to swear at the teacher, disrespect their parents and set a really bad example for their younger siblings. Females join cliques, but they’re exactly like gangs just with different names. Males join gangs and sell dope, cocaine, meth, weapons, contraceptives, etc. Females join clique’s and they have drama with a whole bunch of other clique’s and they start this whole fist fight to point where it’s a rumble like in the book The Outsiders where they have this big fight between all the boys and they just start fighting. That’s exactly what it’s like with females when another female jumps into the fight the whole clique jumps in. But gangs are bad because they can affect you in many ways. They can affect your future and they can really ruin your record because if you’ve been arrested it’s on your record, if you get kicked out of school it’s on your record like myself it’s on my record, if you get sent to a bootcamp or juvenile hall it’s on your record. Just making a bad decision for your first time will have consequences every bad decision you make comes with consequences. Gangs or cliques have an easy and bad influence on some teens. They often graffiti on abandoned buildings. They claim some areas their territories and to represent that they’re in a gang they wear colors like red, or blue. Mexicans wear red because that means there Norteno’s and Blue is what Black people wear means crip’s or Bloods and they have gang signs with it as well. They’ll graffiti the area they claim as their territory.

As children become teenagers/adolescents, they begin to see the world more realistically. They also begin to see the flaws in the ideas of those of higher authority and therefore begin to question what is right. As a result, they rebel and challenge authority. They also form their own point of views while in the process of finding themselves. Although many youth rebel, not all youth do. Many conform and believe that they must respect the ideals of older generations. Some current examples of youth rebelling include driving fast, breaking curfew, arguing, and shoplifting.

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.

A 12-year-old boy comes home from school. He enters his home through the front door and notices his mother sobbing. There is blood on the tissue she's holding. The boy starts to ask his mother why she is crying when he realizes what has happened. She answers his silent inquiry about why, by quietly saying, "your dad . . . he's on the back porch . . . he's had a bad day." Feeling helpless he goes to his room. From his window he can see his dad taking in the last swallow of beer and yelling, loud enough for the neighbors to hear, "Hey, bring me another beer. And where is that worthless son of yours? He was supposed to mow the lawn yesterday." The boy, having seen this too many times before, leaves the

Rebellion can cause young people to rebel against their own interest, activities, and relationships often support self- esteem. One type of rebellion is teenagers’ rebellion. Teenagers’ rebellion is not a new thing anymore. Do you remember the book, “Do Hard Things ” is what every teenagers love to read back in 2008. As parents you might want to ask, “Why has my sweet, and happy child disappeared?” “Why does my kid reject everything I say?” These teenagers have to go through a very though years, as same as parents. If you have a kid, you might have some problems as all parents have. It’s very important to first understand why your teens may be rebelling, because this may lead your child into bad ways. Adolescent rebel against their parents is a result of many reasons such as “struggle for attention, lack of freedom and over use of control, and acceptance” (Markmerill.Tue June 26,2012).