Essay on U Dont Need the "thug life"

Picture yourself being a teenager who lives in a dangerous environment, and going through depression with an abusive parents. What would you do? Are you going to join the gang environment or find solution to survive? Well if you are not able to answer this question, and going through the same situation. Therefore, I highly recommend for you to read a book titled, "Unchained", by L.B tillit, this book might change your life or the way you view the world.

It is true that been in a gang gives a sense of family and belonging. However even though you belong to a group you might feel isolated in some way’s.

This is called innovation “when individuals accept the goals of society, but are unable or unwilling to attain them through legitimate means… Innovation is most closely associated with criminal behavior” (Siegel, 2015: 151). As mentioned in The Made in America: Crips and Bloods documentary many people felt alienated, and joined gangs for protection, love, unity, identity, status and acceptance. Gangs are a community within themselves and there is an established hierarchy in which some members hold higher status over others. Being a gang member gives individuals a place to feel like they are important, whereas they might not feel that way in their regular community. In addition, gangs provide “employment” for those who cannot obtain jobs legally.

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

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.

The life-course perspective goes into detail about the onset, persistence, and the desistance process and show that there are connections that are present, and once these connections linger, then the relinquishing of the power that gangs have over people is released. These researchers note that often times juveniles are joining particular gangs, participate, and then leave. So, when studying this process, Pyrooz & colleagues’ (2010) found that by using the conceptual framework that life-course perspective adds, we can better understand the organization and the process of how gangs work over time. This research also provided us with an understanding of the ties that members associate with their respective gangs, and just how hard it is to break those ties and let go of the gang lifestyle through the life-course. In regards to these ties, the researchers concluded that leaving a gang can be tumultuous, it is a time of confusion and possible victimization. Another significant finding was that leaving a gang is not the same process for everyone, there are diverse variables that affect individuals differently. If these variables are not taken into consideration, then the ties to the gang and the desistance process is likely to be less successful (Pyrooz & colleagues,

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.

As horrible as gangs are, gang members themselves believe that they are beneficial to inner-city society. A former Gangster Disciple, for example, maintains that gang life taught him a lot: "I grew up without a father and I turned to my Disciple brothaz for love. They knew exactly how to treat a brotha and were always there for me, through thick and thin" (Douglas 162).

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.

During my high school years I’ve joined a club called Future Farmers of America which I really had gotten involved with for three and a half years. This being my first time in a club I found myself to be really busy throughout my school time, not only busy but I loved being part of that group. The reason why I loved that group was because there were judging teams and livestock teams that I was really good at. Rite before my senior year was about to be over I decided to leave school for good only because I thought my job was more important. So once I left school I thought it was ok just to do anything I wanted. This is where my whole life took a turn for its worse. Now getting involved with drugs and gangs I was completely far away from an education or a job. Being on the streets was my job. This only landed me in jails and prisons for a period of time.

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

Juveniles often join gangs to be accepted into a society of their peers. These juveniles are looking for acceptance and a sense of belonging. They join these gangs for special status amongst their friends, protection from other gangs, financial help, peer pressure, excitement and for some juveniles, they are born into a gang society and it is a family tradition. Gangs can also act like a family. They will praise, chastise and show them a form of love and respect that they are looking for but cannot get at home.

Nigger. A word formed from the Spanish word “niger” and “negro”, meaning black. A word that was often used as a racial slur and insults against black people. This word has been used in a derogatory way since the 1800s. It is a term of exclusion and a verbal justification for discrimination. Nowadays in the 21st century, people use the slang word nigga which stems from nigger. Over the years there has been some controversy about who should be allowed to say the slang word nigga. The connection between The Fire This Time and this topic is in Carol Anderson’s excerpt from her book, White Rage, Ronald Reagan’s key political strategist, Lee Atwater says, “You start out in 1954 by saying ‘Nigger, nigger, nigger’ By 1968 you can’t say ‘nigger’

Gang members in particular take pride in branding themselves as outside of the boundaries of conventional society(ukessay) Tattoos have long been a means of identifying oneself with a group or culture and because people have used tattoos for gang purposes that is not the only things tattoos stands for people see tattoos as and I feel like automactically assume you’re a gang member.

Gang Culture has increasingly become a subculture for many teenage youths. Mainly minority teens, these social outcast are often have no real economic stability and no parental supervision or guidance. As a result, teenagers often rebel and seek comfort in gangs. These gangs provide what is lacking in their lives, a sense of belonging. Minorities are often stereotyped and criticized, especially minorities born into poverty. They are condemned simply because they are not of the same race or of the same class as the majority (often middle class whites). Before these minorities can even prove themselves equal, society already pushes them towards the subculture that has risen out of oppression and rebellion. Gang culture reinforces, and in