Social Group Community Analysis

Gangs have existed in America since the early eighteenth century, they first rose a outsider institutions that provided membership and sense of self to individuals who were not seen as part of the community. Traditionally, gang membership correlates to familial membership; parental and family membership in a gang elevates the possibility of youth also joining a gang. Though these outsider institutions have developed overtime, they pose some of the most violent threats to public safety, but also to those they say they will protect. It is this violence and lifestyle dominated by power associated with gang memberships that create an appeal to black youth and change the course of their lives. Gangs are a creation of an ongoing cycle, in which society has failed to improve conditions for teens who are looking for new ways to belong in the community.

A gang can also provide money and stability for the youth and provide them with some sort of job and income, this is obviously acquired through committing crimes. According to our textbook Criminology Today An Integrative Introduction by Frank Schmalleger it states that, “ When we speak of a delinquent subculture, we speak of a way of life that has somehow become traditional among certain groups in American society. These groups are the boys’ gangs that flourish most conspicuously in the ‘delinquency neighborhoods’ of our larger American cities. The members of these gangs grow up, some to become law abiding citizens and other to graduate to more professional and adult forms of criminality, but the delinquent tradition is kept alive by the age-groups that succeed them.” (Schmalleger, 2015, p. 171) Most of the time youths that join gangs start at a very young age. They may feel joining a gang provides them with more than society will provide them, there are times that youths want to get out of their gang and be part of the normal society. Like it said in our textbook some of these youths that are involved in gangs are able to get out and become law abiding citizens while others stay and become more involved within their gangs. When youths are involved with gangs it

Qualitative descriptions suggest that, for many, gang membership represents 104 Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice / May 2005an opportunity to enhance social capital as a means to cope with a multitude of problems. Although on balance gang life appears to be neither very rewarding nor satisfying (Hagedorn, 1988), identification with the gang is solidified in response to conflict—often with other gangs—as members pursue their individual and collective interests.

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.

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

A two-pronged prevention approach has proven effective, with primary prevention strategies aimed at the community 's general population and secondary prevention strategies targeting youth between the ages of 7 and 14 who are at high risk of joining gangs. Prevention efforts undertaken by law enforcement departments around the country include: “Participating in community awareness campaigns (e.g. developing public service announcements and poster campaigns). Contacting the parents of peripheral gang members (through the mail or during personal visits) to alert them that their children are involved with a gang. Sponsoring gang hotlines to gather information and facilitate a quick response to gang-related issues. Organizing athletic events with teams of law enforcement officers and gang members. Establishing working relationships with local social service agencies. Making presentations about gangs to schools and community groups as a combined effort at prevention and information gathering. Sponsoring school-based gang and drug prevention programs (e.g. DARE and GREAT)” (Hess, 2013 p.230).

In James Howell’s “Gangs in America’s Communities” book he mentions that a gang should be looked at more of as a social network rather than an “organization” (Howell, 2012, p.60). This can be especially true for the youth who get involved in gangs. For the youth it is normal for them to want to belong somewhere so their peers have major influences in what they do and even how they think. The emergence or involvement of a gang among youth is identifying with each other and eventually giving themselves a name. Howell then describes the next step as grasping the gang culture by wearing distinctive clothing, colors, having rituals, gatherings, and the exclusion of other youth. Most youth join gangs between the ages of 11 and 15, the peak of gang involvement usually occurs between the age of 14 to 16. Some of the risk factors that get them involved in a

The study at hand aimed to investigate the aspects that lead individuals to join a gang, the reasons as to why they decided to part ways with it, and the consequences that resulted from their affiliation. Through the analysis of interviews and observations, several themes were noticeable such as the initiation to the gang, desistance, consequences, and services offered to help reintegrate into society. Former gang members expressed and constantly mentioned their childhood having a major part in the decisions they made which ultimately lead to them being “jumped “into a gang. Some of the reasons this occurred so frequently among so many individuals was partly due to constant profiling, problematic relationships with many of them being at home, or the social environment they found themselves being surrounded by.

The presence of gangs is an ongoing issue amongst a growing population of individuals who are often recruited, appearing to have a desire to belong, generate money, and obtain a sense of security. The gang life is often a dangerous slippery slope that leads to a lifetime of criminal activity or simply increases the already existing criminal behavior in the gang member. For some, there remains a hope for conversion.

In conclusion, the gathered data and research on the efficacy of existing anti-gang laws and programs is dependent on the circumstances surrounding the local government in the target area. The success of gang prevention and intervention is highly dependent on government, local and state funding, immigration enforcement, schooling, community involvement and other similar factors. Initiatives such as G.R.E.A.T. and A Better LA. provide measurable benefits but do not solidify success to the majority. Programs that are successful at teaching the consequences of gang involvement and assist with improving police and community relations are worth the investment. While the programs and initiatives may not be a saving grace for those at risk for gang activity, they have proven to reduce delinquent behavior.

Risk factors for gang membership have been identified at five major levels: individual, family, school, peers and community (Howell & Egley, 2005). For example, at the individual level early onset of delinquency and antisocial behavior among pre-adolescents could be an indication of future criminality (Moffitt, 1993). Risk factors within peer association can have an effect on whether an adolescent becomes a member of a gang. These peers may provide antisocial views, aggressive influences and possibly induce delinquent behavior if not previously present. Lastly, community environment has an effect on adolescents, especially in high-crime areas where drugs, violence associated with weapons and disorganization are prominent (Howell & Egley,

Gang involvement and its associated violent crime have become a rapidly growing problem for the United States. Generally, gangs consist of young people of the same ethnic, racial, and economic background. Usually of a low socio-economic status, these gangs engage in illegal money making activities and intimidate their neighborhoods and rival gangs with violent crimes and victimization. Gang members exemplify a high value for group loyalty and sacrifice.

There are many factors that contribute to youth joining gangs. Children who are raised in a single-parent household, multiple family/foster home transitions, or come from low income homes have a higher risk of participating in gang activities (Howell, 2010). Growing up with a disadvantage these children struggle in school due to poor concentration, attention deficit and low intelligence (O’Brien, Daffern, Chu & Thomas, 2013). Alongside with education, they also have behavioral issues of violence and aggression which makes it difficult to get along with fellow peers (O’Brien, Daffern, Chu & Thomas, 2013). This rejection tends to lead to low self-esteem, anger, self-harm, drugs and vulnerability. Hence

Oftentimes, individuals that come from these entities (gangs) have experienced some form of oppression, or inopportune moment which slung them at the bottom of the economic food chain which in turn forces them to enact in deviant ways. Without gang membership, the gangs would not exist and the like; without gangs, gang membership would not be prevalent. In order to combat murders, robberies/thefts, and illegitimate acts, a strategy needs to be imposed to effectively eradicate the existence of gangs. In order to do that, strategies and efforts to extirpate gang membership must be sought after. Understanding why members select a deviant career such as gang membership is priority, outside factors and sources will be analyzed as well in order to determine why this membership occurs.

Classification approaches towards gangs are generally carried out according to the structure of the gang, their respective membership, and even on the basis of their ethnicity. Pyrooz & Decker, (2011) have identified three forms of gangs which are named as; street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and prison gangs. In this method of classification, local street gangs are termed as the ones which occur most frequently at the community level. These are the forms of gangs which engage in drug related crimes and violence.