African American Gang Gangs

This paper deals with gang violence in the city of Chicago since the beginning of time. It takes a deep look into the history of Chicago gangs and how they interact today. Also the past problems the City of Chicago made when dealing with gangs and the problems that gangs today have and how Chicago has the worst gang problem in the country. Also how gangs have turned themselves into big, and lucrative enterprises most known for money. Also stated are possible solutions to stop or reduce violence of the gangs that all start off with teaching the young kids about gangs and gang prevention.

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.

From the outside looking in, many would few gangs as a tight knit, criminal enterprise that causes violence and problems for the community. They believe that their violence and feuds are with rival gangs. In reality, gang members fight against members of the same gang, they are not organized in their structure and many join gangs to meet some psychological or emotional

“Participation in gangs would be explained by social theorists as a phenomenon that takes place as a result of people not being tied to or associated with the right peers or organizations. The way a person is

Abstract: This review studies in depth research done on street gangs. Social issues have social scientists turning away from including this in their research around this time. Sociological views have been changed dramatically in the past 40 years due to gender and racial studies. Also, women have started to join gangs since America has been changed with woman equality laws passing.

The last argument that relates to gang involvement is poverty. Poverty is an important factor to child rearing methods. Poverty in absolute terms of low income describes a range of key human attributes associated with poverty. This includes poor general health due to exposure to greater personal and environmental health risk. Poverty can also relate to education since they have no access to education and are often illiterate due to that. Youth in poverty must devote all of their resources to meeting basic needs for survival. For this fact, living in poverty compromises one’s ability to a decent life and any hopes of reaching self-actualization. To illustrate, youth who are raised in poverty would see others who are the same age with materialistic

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.

Their sense of right and wrong goes against what society believes is right and wrong, this is what strengthens the gang members to seek refuge within that gang society.

The two ethnic group I’ve chosen to discuss here are the Norteno and Sureno Hispanics, along with the Bloods and Crips of the African American cultures. Although the groups have several ethnic differences the political aspect of the sets they claim have several similarities. In terms of street gangs, Hispanic, and African American gangs dominate the world of gangs, in size, violence, drug distribution, and representation throughout the country and even internationally.

Gangs have direct effects on a society, such as increased levels of crime, violence and murder. Gangs also have long-term or late suggestions in that gang members are more likely to drop out of high school, struggle with unemployment, abuse drugs and alcohol or in end up in jail. These factors not only contribute to the gang members, but they also force taxpayers to pay for welfare and community-assistance programs. Common reasons for the younger generation to join gangs, include trying to find a place where they belong and sharing in mutual desires for safety from family problems or life challenges. Together, the feelings and attitudes among gang members haze them to act violently, often self-contradictory with rival gangs. This violence leads to injury and death of not only members but also of bystanders in the community. High gang activity also causes fear among community members, discourages business activity and obstructs home-value appreciation. Communities, also must pay for higher levels of law enforcement when gangs are prominent.

Data shows that in 1990, there were a total of 1.492 gang related homicides in a spam of only 408 cities; and from 1996-1998 there was approximately 1,204 homicides per year within 237 cities.What makes the youth so attracted to gang affiliations? Most theories have failed to target the reasons as to why individuals join gangs. However, there has been research that young adults whom join a gang, lack some of these five stages; physiological, personal safely, feeling love and “belonging”, low self-esteem, and self-actualization. When individuals join these gangs, “fulfill” all of these characteristics. Once associated, members receive shelter and food. In their eyes, gangs are viewed as sororities, where they know if anything happens to one of their members there will be protection from the others. With that being said, self-esteem and self-actualization naturally come about, bringing personal satisfaction. Most members are those with poor family network, low net-income, leading to devoting their time to the streets. Much of these has to do with the social network from these children and are often lured into these

Other aspects of gang problems maybe how individuals will be attracted to the lifestyle from false wealth imagery. A quote from the Independent backs this argument up with a case study of a 15 year old boy who saw teenagers dealing drugs all the time and being attracted to the “trainers, cars and everything” (Independent, 2017) but also dramatically changed his life as he “carried a kitchen steak knife ‘for safety’” (Independent, 2017). The issue is not the fact that a lot of young teenagers will be a part of the gang but the criminal activities that they get drafted into doing, such as selling drugs. Peter Herbert, a childcare lawyer, states that "You work in partnership with young people to make sure gangs are not attractive to them and particularly criminal gangs and you give them alternatives of employment, education, support and self-respect,"” (BBC, 2007). Herbert’s opinion here shows that even though this was not a mainstream issue, criminal gangs will entice younger kids to work for them through the promise of money and self-respect. This could be through selling drugs or getting involved with violence.

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.

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

Many times individuals turn to a gang to escape a life of poverty or financial uncertainty. A sense of hopelessness and desperation can result from being unable to provide the basic necessities. “Young people living in poverty may find it difficult to meet basic physical and psychological needs, which can lead to a lack of self-worth and pride” (Lee, Dean, and Parker 1). Individuals who are faced with a lack of money many times turn to crime if they cannot earn enough at a legitimate job to support themselves or their families. “This partly explains why gangs exist in poor, rundown areas of cities” (Grabianowski 1).