Risk Factors: Why Young People Join Gangs?

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

The process for becoming a gang member varies, some gangs require jump or beat in, or for females, to pull a train (Molidor, 1996). The typical gang initiation is a beating, where the members of the gang surround the prospective member for several minutes, if the prospect fights his or her way out, they are initiated into the “family” (Vigil, 1996; Peterson, Taylor, and Esbensen, 2004; Molidor, 1996). However, females must sometime also pull a train, have sex with numerous male members of the gang, in order to solidify their membership (Molidor, 1996). Youths become gang members for different reasons, some reasons include for protection (Alleyne and Wood, 2010; Peterson, Taylor, and Esbensen, 2004), for the potential to gain respect and status (Alleyne and Wood, 2010), to belong to a family, and power (Molidor, 1996). The most widespread reason is protection, individuals who join gangs are those who feel the most threat from those around them–school, family, and community (Alleyne and Wood, 2010). According to Peterson, Taylor, and Esbensen (2004), roughly two-thirds of gang members are beat in for their intiation. However, in regards to joining a gang for protection, they concluded that gang members experience higher victimization (getting robbed for drugs/money, victims of drive-by shootings, etc.) than nongang members, despite joining the gang for protection against victimization. Youths also become gang members via peer pressure, their peers are

An issue that I decided to discuss in further detail that occurs nation wide is youths deciding to join gangs. We may all have our speculations as to why youths get involved with gangs, but the constant question is why do youths actually decide to join gangs? I believe that youths join gangs because of the situation they may be in; especially if they do not have a family base that they can turn to or rely heavily on. Youths can gain many things through joining gangs such as family, friends, security, jobs, money, etc. Gangs can provide youths with some sort of family base

These factors include a family’s position in the social hierarchy, family violence and substance abuse, and negligence within a family. Everyone is impacted socially by their status and make decisions resulting from this. In reality, gangs do provide power. This power, however, has a negative impact and can result in dangerous actions being taken. The consequences of these actions include going to jail and death of the gang member or their loved ones. Joining gangs may initiate from the family but it also has a reciprocal effect of hurting them. This is sometimes due to the poor socialization of children. Joining a gang, however is not a normative event and is not foreseen by theoretical perspectives. The impacts of joining a gang are significant as they harm society as a whole and increase the death rate. Unfortunately, there is an increasing amount of youth gangs in Canada which is becoming harder to control. Many organizations such as the RCMP are taking action to prevent youth joining gangs. Children are with an authority figure from the day they are born and if they happen to face hardships, the chances of them integrating into a gang intensifies. Overall, influences begin from the household an individual is grown up in. Habits, beliefs, and actions come from the process of nurturing and if it does not suit the needs of the child, the child will begin to see youth gangs as an open

One of the main reasons people choose to be gangs is because they feel a sense of belonging and family.A lot of people who join gangs also don’t have a father figure or have a family but their family situation is extremely unstable. Gangs act as a substitute family that provides brotherhood and protection, something that a family is supposed to do. Another reason people choose to be gangs is because of money and greed. Drug trafficking, sexual and human trafficking are extremely profitable black markets that gangs actively participate in. In fact, according to the Global Financial Integrity, it displays data that shows,”that global drug trafficking is worth $426 billion to $652 billion, the human trafficking industry is worth $150.2 billion

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

Socialization and peer influence and pressure can be a leading cause for teens to join gangs. I too was surprised that 1 in every 100 people are gang members. Between the ages of 13 and 15 the average person joins a gang. (Pyrooz, 2013). While the duration is 2 years I was unaware that gang activity had an expiration date. Every gang member that I have heard of or know is supposedly a member for life even though active gang activity diminishes with age.

The factors that go into the creation and growth of gangs goes beyond the people involved in them; but the circumstances and societal forces that push them into it. Many people depict people getting into gangs for all types of reason. Many resorting to the typical such as being rebellious, lazy, or holding a lack of morals. As I read an article on abc news regarding gangs, one man commented “All it takes is self-respect, alittle education and a backbone. I have no sympathy for gang members.” These people are ignorant to the real circumstanstances these individuals face and how much they endure. As Damien Pacman stated; a former gang member, "If you ain't got no job, you ain't got nowhere to go; after that, well, you're going to turn to the streets. The streets is calling you." Some of these factors include; and not limited to; Poverty and Family.

One of the reasons why young people join gangs is because of the fact that their relatives are involved with gang activity and it has been part of their lives. According to the New York Daily News, children of gang members were “blessed” into a gang; it is similar to a baptism but for gangs (Belenkaya, 2008). The babies are automatically accepted into the gang. These children were practically born into this lifestyle and it is often all that they know.

Gangsterism is typically defined as the culture of gangs. A definition of what is a gang varies from countries to countries. However, usually gang is attributed to criminal street gang or neighborhood-based street gangs. They are composed of teenagers ranging from ages to 16 to 21 years old. Also, they are commonly involved in many crimes such as armed robbery, assault, auto theft, trafficking, fraud, murder, etc. Because of these behavioral acts among the gangs, they are generally considered to be criminals or deviant by most of the society. Moreover, gangs are drug distributors. They are used by drug syndicate to deliver illegal drugs such as the marijuana or cocaine or they even become users of it. The world of gangsterism is definitely a harsh and dangerous one. But, how come that there are teenagers who are attracted to join a gang? Why would they choose to be in a group where they have no future at all? There are many reasons why these people choose to be this way. First, they find protection. One of the reasons why a person would join a gang is for him/her to find a group that will protect him/her. A gang is very much bounded by brotherhood. Everyone is willing to help each other. Also, what is the business of one is the business of all. Second, they find self-worth. He/She thinks that joining a gang is “cool.” Usually, members of gang wear baggy pants, big and loose t-shirts, and bling blings. Some also wear tattoo. They might find it interesting and attractive which

Gender stereotypes pressure youth to join gangs to show control and respect from peers. Youth involved in gangs believe that affiliating with these groups could provide safety, protection, and even money. Many children get picked on at school and do not have many friends. Some kids join gangs to have friends or some sort of protection from bullies. Non-gang members in school understand what these gang colors mean and what they could possibly do, which creates fear. When children become part of a gang their entire focus turns to gang affiliation. Although, there is a stereotype that all gang members are bad people. They are people who need some type of help from emotional expressions to family support. Children create a sense of family when

Some criminal gang members give beat downs and stab people to get initiated into the gangs. For instance if a male and wanted to be a Crip or a Blood you would have to get beat in. If females want to join they have to be sexed in. Teenagers these days join gangs because the lifestyle of money,fast cars,sex.Another reason teenagers join gangs because their tired of being told what to do their tired of being bullied by older bullies at school or in the neighborhood.For instance Stanley Tookie Williams the Original Leader of the Crips gang when he was 12 years old he began carrying a switchblade to protect himself from older bullies on the neighborhood.

For many, it’s because they do not have any choice. If they have parents that are on drugs, then they may need to start selling drugs simply to be able to afford to pay for their own meals, and if they have younger siblings, they also need to be taken care of. Kids are being forced by their own flesh and blood to grow up too fast. These kids are in need of money, and if they are not old enough to get a job, then they are not really given much of a choice on whether they will join a gang or not. There is no age requirement with gangs; some have been known to recruit children as young as six years old. Even if they are able to find a job that will hire them, they could potentially make much larger figures selling drugs. The younger siblings of the kids who must follow this path grow up to see their family member who is active with a gang as a provider who deserves their admiration because they took care of them when no one else could, when no one else would. This brings us to legacy. Legacy alone is reason enough for some to join a gang. If they have a family member who has been in the gang, they may feel it is expected of them to join as well. “Families can have gang involvement spanning over multiple generations. This is one of the toughest forms of pressure to escape, as the gang lifestyle is deeply rooted in family traditions and values.” And for many without members of their family in gangs, they have no sense of familial efficacy at all. They may feel unimportant and undesired by their family at home, but in a gang, they have brothers and sisters to take care of them and who always wish the best for them. The sense of family found within a gang is so strong that they will get into potentially deadly combat with anyone who even attempts to hurt one of their own. Yet another reason that some do it is simply because they have nothing better to do. Society has failed them in that they are in a position where they can’t

Other members join because they live in the gang area and are, therefore, subject to violence by rival gangs. Some young people join a gang solely to survive, as joining a gang guarantees protection and retaliation against attacks from outside gangs, which gives members a feeling of security. (Delaney 96) Some youth are peer pressured and threatened into joining gangs, which leaves them no choice but to join the gang. Some youth that get involved in gangs have no idea what they are getting themselves into, and once they are in, they can never get out. They join a gang in order to feel love and acceptance, but are too ignorant to realize that they are being used in order to carry out the gang’s dirty work. If they are ordered to rob a grocery store, kill a rival gang member, or rape an innocent bystander, and refuse, they will be punished, brutally beaten, and often times murdered. If you attempt to leave a gang you could be jumped, your house could be invaded, or you could even get caught up in a drive by at any time. Your family’s lives are also at risk because even if you move and change your identity, they will seek after and kill your family if they are unable to find you. By joining a gang you are giving up your free will, and are putting your life as well as the lives of others in danger. I feel S.E. Hinton does a great job of portraying the harm that comes out

Low self-esteem, influenced by a peer, influenced by mass media, poor parenting and lack of social skills may under rooting adolescents joining the gang or even forming a small gang which directly or indirectly causing negative effects on both the adolescents themselves and the society.