Papers On Gang Violence

¨Gang members have been responsible for 61 percent of all homicides [in Chicago] in 2011, up from 58.7 percent in 2010¨ (Hidden America). These are some of the few disturbing statistics about gang violence in Chicago; however, as many people do not know, gangs have not always been about drugs and violence. In the early 19th century, gangs are not what people perceive them to be today. Gangs in the 19th century were volunteers with the fire department back in the Antebellum Period, which is the period before the civil war and after the War of 1812. As time went on and as the professional firemen forced the volunteers to break up, they started spreading apart. Then by the late 19th century, gangs started developing on the south side. This is

In society today, there is a major problem We live in a society where gangs are taking over our neighborhoods in numbers. It is the responsibility of the individuals to part take in getting their neighborhoods back under control. Gangs are becoming a growing problem in American society. More young people are turning to gangs to solve problems in their lives or for acceptance. When youths join gangs, they drop all their social activities with school, family, and friends. However, individuals ruin their lives, and the chances of them having a decent education, and a successful life by getting involved in gang activity.

(Overend) “Out of the one million gang members about 400,000 are teens, 90%-94% are male.” (Gang Statistics) When conducting a survey on gang violence I asked fifty people, “What are the top five gangs here in Fresno?” and the top five were Bulldogs, Surenos, Crips, Bloods, and Asian Boyz.

I have observed that individuals and communities, and institutions think that poverty, gang violence and child abuse is what represent who you are and where you belong. Going through poverty, gang violence and child abuse would lead individuals in the wrong direction in life. When an individual or a communities see a gang member or someone they don’t care about that person because they say once you’re in the hole it hard to come back out. I just think it wrong for individuals and communities to judge people the way they do. People are the way they for a reason. Everybody has a kind heart. They made not seem like they do but they do. Their mostly likely that because there not given love or support. Like in the story said they in need of attention.

[ACT: sounds of gunshots] First a warning, then a deadly shooting. A gang-related attack has taken place in Los Angeles. Gabriella Rasso has more on the shooting.

Data is difficult to gather when researching gun-related violence within gangs. However, it is obvious that gang members have guns and they retrieve their guns from the illegal gun market. According to the National Institute of Justice (2013), “Gun-related homicide is most prevalent among gangs and during the commission of felony crimes.” Dating back to 1980, 70 percent of all homicides within gangs involved a gun. In 1993, the percentage rose to 95 percent (National Institute of Justice 2013).

Large communities, with a population larger then 50,000 are at the greatest risk of significant gang activity, and community members face with high fears that gangs will take over with their families, schools can or business. Will become victims of theft and/ or violence. Further, communities with gang activity are disproportionately affected by theft, negative economic, impact, vandalism, assault, gun violence, illegal drugs trade, and homicide.

Handling this situation is both tricky and easy (but mostly tricky). It’s tricky because the bond that these members have is something that is not easily disturbed so to begin to change/rid the area of a specific thought is something that is nearly impossible. But, if you cut off the problems where it begins, the problem will be solved. Imagine an idea in the shape of a seed. In order for the seed to germinate and to grow, you need the correct ingredients like water and sunshine. If you stop those, then the seed won’t germinate and you won’t have any growth. Now apply this metaphor to how the minds of youth’s work. Being brought up in an environment where they are constantly told that one perspective is the right one or that hating another

and influenced many parts of the U.S. The youth, being its main targets, become influenced and

Improvised juveniles are less likely to join a gang than than those from middle-class America, this group of teens are found in suburban neighborhoods. Juveniles that are actively involved in gangs are under the age of 18, and joining gangs at an early age as young as 11-12 years old. The racial and ethnic gang memberships show that black and Hispanic gang members are more eminent in the inner city, in comparison to whites, Hispanics members is over 45%, and black members are nearly at 40%, while whites are at the noticeable rate of 9.7%. Statistics do suggest that whites have an increased membership in rural area indicating more than 56% participation. Law enforcement agencies overwhelmingly report a bigger percent of male gang members versus female gang members—a typical finding from law enforcement data. Despite a rising fear of females joining gangs, the percentage of females joining gangs remain around 8% during the study period, with 90% of juvenile male gang

Gangs such as the Crips and Bloods are majority made up of African Americans. Their rivalry for territory in neighborhoods and past history create tension between the two and can lead to multiple deaths. A reporter stated that, “the Bureau of Justice Statistics show that from 1980 to 2008, blacks were six times more likely than whites to be homicide victims and seven times more likely than whites to commit homicide.” (“What does 'black-on-black crime' actually mean?”). The criminal activity occurring in black neighborhoods is higher than any other race.

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

Department of Justice and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, released the National Gang Center Bulletin (No.5) (Arciaga, Jones, & Sakamoto, 2010). Within it, a survey of high school and middle school students responded that 45% and 35% respectively reported gang activity at their schools. Within private schools encompassing the same ages, only 2% of students reported knowing or of being a gang member (Arciaga, et al, 2010). Gangs reported in 2003 were comprised of mostly males (95.7%), and when broken down into race, blacks represented 57%, whites represented 30%, and other were 13% (Sharpe, 2003). Many of these students who were involved in gangs did not graduate from high school or earn a GED (Sharpe,

Gang violence is a serious problem in the United States. According to Gordon Witkin “Last September, after rival gang members taunted each other at a crowded downtown bus stop, a 16-year-old fired a 9-mm pistol, wounding two other teens and a 61-year-old man.” (Witkin). This is just one example of gang violence and its effect on young people. Multiple approaches need to be used to keep this problem from happening.

Gangs are present in many schools in the United States. Approximately 45% of high school students say that there are gangs or students who consider themselves a part of a gang in their schools. Around 35% of middle school students say that there are gangs or students who consider themselves part of a gang in their schools (Arciaga, Sakamoto, and Jones, 2010). According to the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (2007), 23 % of students reported the presence of gangs of their school campus or in the surrounding area in 2007. This is a 21% increase from the 2003 survey conducted (Arciaga, Sakamoto, and Jones, 2010).