Why Youth May Join A Gang

Although non-gang members may also participate in risky activities like binge drinking, marijuana use, and drug selling, gang affiliation greatly increases exposure and likelihood to partake in these activities. Studies show that “early alcohol use and early marijuana use are both identified risk factors for joining a gang among adolescents” (Swahn et. al 354). Youth gang members are also exposed to hard drugs because of gang involvement in the illegal drug market. Many youth gang members in these

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

Gang and non-gang comparisons, primarily of at-risk minority youth drawn from institutionalized and non- institutionalized settings, consistently reveal an association between admitted gang membership and self-reported crime or delinquency. Although female youth are shown to be relatively underrepresented in gangs and gang activity, they self-report gang membership at a rate up to 4½ times higher (20% to 46%) than typically indicated in surveys of law enforcement (Esbensen & Huizinga, 1993).

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.

There are an abundance of reasons why some youth may choose to join a gang. The lacking of sense of guidance positively and

Future gang members tend to become involved in delinquency--including violence--and alcohol or marijuana use at an early age. During childhood and early adolescence, friendships with aggressive peers, conduct problems, and involvement in delinquency are stepping stones to gang membership. Future gang members are likely to have other gang members in their school classrooms, they perform poorly in elementary school, and they have a low degree of commitment to school. They often are identified as learning disabled. They show higher levels of stability in the family, peer group, and school settings, and they spend lots of unsupervised time with friends. Many youth gang members have none of these characteristics. These are good kids, from good families, and they are good students; however, these youths do not remain in gangs long. Adolescents ' allegiances to friends, gangs, and other peer groups tend to be brief.

The concept of Juvenile gang’s is not unknown to the world. They can be found in any corner of the world and any ethnic/racial background. Gangs have been around since humans learned how to get into organized groups. This was about around the time of the middle ages. In fact, the first recorded history of such gangs was in the city of London (Sheldon., Tracy and Brown, 1996). For America, it was not until the early 1800s when juvenile gangs became a problem (Sheldon., Tracy and Brown, 1996). This being due to the social and economic problems in this period. Due to the wars, Immigration, and financial situation of the time, many juveniles see the gangs as a refuge from their situation. There are many reasons as to why a juvenile will seek

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

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

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.

Over the past 20 years, the country has mourned the loss of many people at the hands of a juvenile. US citizens primarily blame video games, music, social media, gangs, religious affiliation, psychological abnormalities and bullying for murders carried out by juveniles. There are only two of these that I believe is a legitimate reason for juveniles to carry out a murder. I believe that gang affiliation is a legitimate reason. There are numerous situations in which children have little option in joining a gang. Refusal to join a gang can put their family members at risk. Also, being raised under strain can influence juveniles to join a gang. As far as psychological disorders, there is high unpredictability with this group. Medication can actually

But what are the risk factors? Some argue that gang formation is a product of the postindustrial development. That gangs are a mixture of racism, urban underclass poverty, of minority and youth culture. And that youth gangs in particular are products of their environment and these factors are associated with why juveniles join gangs. The following are elements of risk factors associated with gang membership. That are split up into 5 domains individual and family demographics, personal attributes, peer-group, school, and the community.

Get the passwords to all your children’s Facebook, twitter, email and other social accounts. Make sure the family computer is in a common area and the screen can be seen by all. If your children have cell phones, switch over to a prepaid plan that you can control so they can not send pictures or text messages.

The scholarly article, “Risk and protective factors associated with gang affiliation among high-risk youth: a public health approach”, written by Doctor Dawn Delfin McDaniels, was first published in 2012 in the BMJ Journals. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors of high-risk youth and by doing so, also identify violence-prevention strategies (McDaniels, 2012). McDaniels analyzed data from the CDC’s 2004 cross-sectional survey ‘Youth Violence Survey: Linkages Among Different Forms of Violence’. The data collected from 4,131 youths in grades 7, 9, 11, and 12, in high-risk, urban schools, was used to find an

People who join gangs are often seeking a supportive family (Webb 25). Gangs also require the complete loyalty of