Youth Gang Problem

In today society many of our youth are joining and becoming gang members. The criteria that is very often classify groups as gangs is the group usually have three or more members that ranges from 12-24. Among these members they share an identity typically linked to a name, and often other symbols. Members tend to view themselves as a gang, and they are recognized by others as gangs. The group is involved in a superior of criminal activities.

Youth participation in gangs actually decreased from 1996 to 2004, but the violence within these gangs has not. Homicides committed by youth gang members still remain as a monumental problem across the United States of America. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported in its 2004 survey of youth gangs that there were an estimated 760,000 gang members that year. Many of the kids affiliated with gangs come from lower income, single parent homes; therefore, the youths of America often turn to gangs to fill the void of not being part of a “family”. To combat this problem and save our youth from a life of malfeasance, the people of the communities of America must take a stand against the negative influences that impact these youths.

In 2015, Nashville, Tennessee experienced the highest rate of juvenile violence then compared to the last ten years (Bennett, 2016). In fact, Nashville far exceeded other large cities such as Oakland, California and Louisville, Kentucky (Bennett, 2016). Nashville juveniles were responsible for 75 homicides, which is twice as many as Oakland, California (Bennett, 2016). Nashville juveniles committed 215 violent crimes, with 159 of them included the use of a firearm (Bennett, 2016). These statistics are alarming and show that juvenile gang activity in Nashville is of great concern (Bennett, 2016). Nashville’s Metro Police have concluded that youths today are using guns as way to resolve disagreements, rather than what has typically been accomplished, in the past, through fist fights (Bennett, 2016).

Of course, there are the major gangs like the Crips and the Bloods, but gang violence and activity is a problem in the United States today. Back in 2005, the Department of Justice said there were at least 21,500 gangs and more than 731,000 active gang members. Gangs are more popular in cities than rural areas, but gang violence is said to be the cause of half of all homicides. So if it was 731,000 11 years ago, I am sure the number has risen since then and will continue to grow if the U.S. does not find a way to contain it. I think gang activity is something that law enforcement does not spend enough time addressing. I live about 30 minutes from Washington, D.C. and I know there is gang activity there, but I never hear anything about it. A local area called Manassas has a gang called MS13, a mainly Hispanic gang and I never hear anything about it. I think there are so many other things going on in the world that gang activity tends to be overlooked. If we want gang activity to lower we have to stop young people from continuing to join gangs. Gang members describe gangs as a family, and to youth that is lacking a home environment, it may seem like the right path for them to take. Parents have to be more in their kid's lives and business to lower the chances of gangs continuing to grow. Having interactive parents can build a child up to where they do not feel the peer pressure to join a gang or need that in their lives to feel complete I think law enforcement could be doing more, but it all starts at home in my

The victim, Tamoi CHEWS was the front passenger of a vehicle driven by his girlfriend, Michelle GOODSON. In the rear passenger area were the victim's two children, Tyron Bradford, age 22 and Toni TAYLOR, age 21. They were driving home after attending a party in the area of 40th and Prairie. They were going N/B on State Street in the area of 4229 S. State. At that approximate address there were two vehicles blocking both lanes of N/B State St. It appeared that the occupants of these two vehicles may have been talking to each other. The victim recognizes the driver of the vehicle stopped in the lane closest to the curb. The victim's girlfriend believes

Did you know that gang violence affects our world today? In this century we’re experiencing more gang related crimes ever than before. Current research shows that there is an estimate of 250,000 gang members in America (Almonte and Desmond 4). The more gangs the more killings. Adolescents are getting more involved in gangs, because of this dropout rates are increasing. The more dropouts the more drug dealers. Once they begin to sell drugs they end up in jail. This is where we come in as taxpayers. Gang violence affects the public with the crimes they commit. Murders, robbery, and vandalism are some of the main crimes that are committed. These things can be prevented if we pay more attention to our teens. Rehab centers and

Gangs are not a new phenomenon, or a new problem. Gangs have been around for a long time, and will continue to grow and transform throughout the world. I have viewed gangs in a negative manner, and have carried a false misconception of what exactly a gang is. Television and media is partially to blame for society’s view on gangs and gang violence. Today, there are dozens of “reality” television shows about gangs. It is no surprise the information that we take in through television on the topic of gangs is misleading. Gangs can be a problem, especially gangs that are active in violence, and criminality. The problem here is there is no research that suggests that there is a policy that will address the gang problem, or a preventative measure that produces results. Through research, I will define what a gang is, why gangs can be harmful to at risk youth, what prevention programs accomplish, and the efficacy of prevention programs. I will also determine which of prevention programs has the highest level of effectiveness.

To say gangs are not a problem in America would be a lie. Instead of going and undertaking some small program in the gang ridden communities that almost never works. The United States will have to take a good long look at itself in the mirror and realize that it let this problem happen. Not only does American society needs to be changed but also the laws that help create this problem will need to change as well. Society cannot just be transform overnight. These proposed changes are drastic and nationwide. If the government implemented these changes the effects would not come overnight, and some problems will get worse before the better. These proposals not only could drastically weaken America’s gang problem but could help save America’s society before it is too late. To be the To

Youth gang issues has been around for almost several decades and data showed the proportion of youths joining a gang increased significantly. In order to prevent from newer generations of youths from joining a gang and essentially ruining their future, communities formed together to create a blockage to direct them to a successful future and be a law abiding citizen. The federal government even formed an office called the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention that operates under United States department of Justice to attempt “by supporting states, local communities, and tribal jurisdictions in their efforts to develop and implement effective programs for juveniles”. (Howell, J. C., Wilson, J. J., Reno, J., Marcus, D., &

Although authorities are looking to try and find a way to prevent gang violence it does not seem to be working. More gangs are being started whether in prison or out on the street. More kids are starting to join gangs as a way to have fun. Reasons kids may be in gangs range from it being that they are being forced, pressured into it, are joining to have fun, or they were born into the gang. School gang prevention programs are great and are influencing some kids to stay away from gangs, while others are deciding that gangs would be more fun than school. Gang violence is increasing extremely fast and there is something that needs to be done.

Youth Gang membership is a serious problem affecting many youths in America. Per the National Youth Gang Survey by the U.S. Justice Department puts the number of youths in gangs at only about 302,000. But a 2015 study by G. Gately found that there are more than 1 million youth gang members. Many youth gang members join around 12 and 13 years old, peaking at 14 years of age (Tara Young, 2014). This review will detail the main reasons youths enter gangs, outreach programs that are making a difference and those that are coming up short, and what the prison system is doing to encourage recidivism.

There is a real gang epidemic in this country; even the nicest, most wealth off cities in America have been infiltrated by gangs. Gangs have been around for centuries, and they will continue to grow and pervade our country. The only way to address the gang problem in the city is to tackle it head on. The probability of effectively averting gang activity is larger if community initiatives are concentrated on risk factors and are data driven and research centered (Howell, 2012). To eliminate gangs and gang activity, you will need a Comprehensive Gang Model (Howell, 2012). There are many steps that must be followed and implemented to ensure the gang reform program will work correctly. These steps are community mobilization, opportunities provision, social intervention, suppression, and organizational change and development.

The study revealed the prevalence of youth gangs and gang-related activity, especially in major metropolitan cities, where youth gangs increased thirty-six percent from 2002 to 2011 (Merrin, Hong, & Espalgae, 2015). The study attributed numerous factors to the rise in youth gang involvement, and highlighted the primary individual factor as mental health problems including depression, traumatic stress, and antisocial behavior (Merrin, Hong, & Espalgae, 2015). Additionally studies suggest youths who participate in delinquent behavior, consume alcohol, and use illicit drugs are at a significantly higher risk to become involved with gangs (Merrin, Hong, & Espalgae, 2015). The family context of a youth’s development plays a vital role in their

Youth participation in gangs actually decreased from 1996 to 2004, but the violence within these gangs has not. Homicides committed by youth gang members still remain as a monumental problem across the United States of America. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reported in its 2004 survey of youth gangs that there were an estimated 760,000 gang members that year. Many of the kids affiliated with gangs come from lower income, single parent homes; therefore, the youths of America often turn to gangs to fill the void of not being part of a “family”. To combat this problem and save our youth from a life of malfeasance, the people of the communities of America must take a stand against the negative influences that impact

Almost all research spoke about the increase in gang violence “Gangs grew dramatically in the United States during the 1990s.” (Braga; Decker, 2007), and that any proposed program was a direct response to a growing gang community ( problem).