How Many Gangs Exist And Why Does It Exist?

The reason behind the street gangs has been largely associated with myriad of social and economic reasons. Among the reasons as to why youth join gangs are desperation due to poverty as well as breakdown of a family as a cohesive unit. According to the survey of gang areas, Los Angeles showed identical poverty map within the area. In ss much as there are some other reasons behind youth joining gangs, when critically analyzed it, reveals that such reasons are always directly or indirectly related to family poverty and situations. Examples of these gangs are Surenos and Nortenos whose mode of operation and activities though different, share some similarities.

As a reader, I found thi¬¬s book very interesting and very easy to relate to. For me, life was not easy growing up in Atlanta as a black male, as a child I consistently witnessed situations similar to what Sudhir Venkatesh experienced such as gang beatings and the selling of illegal substances. Growing up I moved homes and schools a few times and from this experience I learned that initially you will not be accepted in a certain community, you have to slowly get accustomed to the “norms” before you are welcomed in. Surprisingly the streets are a very judgmental place, just for being different Venkatesh was called a “Mexican” and “nigger” when in fact he was neither. I can recall numerous circumstances growing up when I was unfairly judged and

Low self esteem is another reason why as well. An individual can join a gang because they feel as if they can look at their self as if they have more confidence than they had before all the gang situations. It may boost up their ego and make them feel like a bigger person than

Gangs make great promises and pray on the vulnerable. Often these promises include, giving unconditional support, and lead to becoming the family these kids probably have never had. They offer a sense of unity and support. Gangs present themselves as a means of survival to youth who lack basic fundamentals such as food, clothing and shelter. They are trying to ignore a negative home life, or may be looking for an adult figure to guide them. And, most risk factors cut across racial and ethnic lines.

If a child is raised around that type of environment then they will feel more pressured or obligated into having to join a gang. Some children from broken homes might join a gang to get the sense of brotherhood and knowing someone else is there to have their back.

Every city has its problems but for the majority of cities one of their problems is gangs. Everyone has a different stereotype of what they consider to be a gang which makes it difficult to have one set definition of what a gang is. One definition is “young people who spend time in groups of three or more, spend a lot of time in public places, existed for three months or more, engage in delinquent or criminal behavior together in the last 12 months, and has at least one structural feature such as a name or a leader” (Young, Fitzgibbon, and Silverstone, no date). There have been multiple theories that have supported and opposed these arguments on why people join gangs and the risk factors. People join gangs for all sorts of reasons such as a sense of belonging, traditions, coping, money, and protection.

I believe whole heartedly that the punishment must always fit the crime. When it comes to gangs, they operate under a different code of ethics as we have learned over the semester so far. They Commit illegal acts and do so on a daily basis. Whether its drug distribution or even murder, gangs and gang members have no problem doing these acts because it enhances what they are trying to accomplish. I firmly believe these enhanced sentences and laws for gang members who commit crimes are necessary. When someone joins a gang they do so knowing they will have to do these illegal acts. They think ahead about the trauma they are going to cause and go through with it anyways. As pointed out by the officers in the video, gangs wreck havoc on communities. They do what they need to in order to succeed and have no ill feelings about the harm they are doing to innocent people around them. These enhanced laws are ideal because they can lock up these harmful individuals for longer periods of time. And forcing them to be tracked even after they are released makes sure they aren’t doing what they did before they got locked up.

This is the question many people ask gang members. Joining a gang is the beginning of a dangerous life, and it begins early on in life. The truth is there is not always an easy answer to this question. Some join for the sense of family, others join for survival, while other may join because of family legacies; it is a complicated issue. Each individual gang member has a story or an explanation about how and why they joined a gang.

The Social Work Dictionary defines a social problem as “a condition among people leading to behaviors that violate some people’s values and norms and cause emotional or economic suffering”. The above definition accurately describes the social problem that gangs are, and their impact on a community. People who live in gang infested neighborhoods live daily with fears of losing their lives and the lives of loved ones. That fear, along with the fear that their family members will join the gang, or that they will be physically harmed in some way by the gang. They may exhibit many emotional, psychological and physical problems that people who don’t live in gang infested neighborhoods do not. Since before the 1940’s law enforcement and others have attempted to put a stop to gangs. These solutions usually hampered gang activity but didn’t eradicate it. Gangs evolve their practices over time to adjust to law enforcement tactics. Today gangs are involved in sex trafficking rather than drug dealing. Sex trafficking is easier to hide, more profitable and has less legal ramifications.

I think you did a great job on your post as well as explaining the reasons why you think people join gangs. I agree that the main or most important reason people join gangs is for a sense of belonging or the need to feel a part of the family. I also like the point in which you made regarding the qualities of a gang and how they hardly display components of a family or team based on cultural aspects. I think your use of statistics was great and contained vital information regarding the increase in gang participation. All of your ideas were great. Nice post!

A gang can be anything from a group of people donating to a good cause to killer , robber, phonies, drug attics. Literally anybody can be in a gang no matter what color you are, what race you are , it doesn't matter. People join gangs for many different reasons Protection , Attention, Popularity, Dirty Money, Peer Pressure ,and Curiosity there are many more. Bad gangs get together and rob people , sell drugs, rape girls, lace people , kill people, kill cops, break every law they can possibly break just because they want to. When I was growing up gangs were around and influenced a lot of other kids but I didn't let them influence me . Those influences actually came from school and the students attending. Belleville West has lots of gang members

There are many ways to get into a gang, but there are many reasons why people join, and what benefits they yield from joining a gang. Many members of gangs will see benefits to a gang, but those benefits are only received if one were to pledge to the steep risks that come with being in a gang. Benefits can range from gender, but they are usually the same, but there are different roles played based on one's gender an example would be females in gangs, “roles of women include: holding and transporting drugs, and guns as law enforcement as less likely to search women”(pg. 42, Eghigian, Petrenko). Women in gangs may have small roles, but still “important” ones that are equally as dangerous as a mans. This is because the “rewards” are similar for,

“Gangs are groups of three or more people who band together for protection, socialization, or financial gain. By joining, members take on a common identity of the gang.” (Staff, 2014) Gangs have existed in America since the American Revolution. The presence of gangs has increased in the U.S.; they affect almost 3,550 jurisdictions as of 2007. (Staff, Gangs, ProQuest LLC., 2014) In recent years, they have even corrupted the most secure organizations, such as the armed forces and professional sports leagues, (Staff, 2014). Gangs have been very common throughout the history of the United States, but the history has greatly impacted our society.

History and DevelopmentAccording to (Siegel and Welsh 2012, p. 326). In the beginning there were groups formed, and from groups to gangs. The records shows that gangs was developed in other nations back in the 1600s. Many of these gangs had a negative effects on society, these types of gangs participated in many illegal and criminal activities. They were label as stereotyped with negative names, there were mischievous in robbing, rape, extortion, theft and vandalism. Gangs spread in the United States in the 1800s, there were 1300 youth gangs that had formed in the city of Chicago.

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.