Gangs And Their Role With The Violence

Statistics Canada has done research on identifying the facts that are contributed to the definition of a youth gang member. Partnered with the Montreal Police Service, Statistics Canada was able to generate the definition of a gang member: "An organized group of adolescents and/or young adults who rely on group intimidation and violence, and commit criminal acts in order to gain power and recognition and/or control certain areas of unlawful activity [2] (Statistics Canada, 2008).

El Salvador has had a rich history of violence through out its time. Just a few decades ago many Salvadorian citizens fled the country in order to avoid the civil war. Many of those people have settled down and built families in the United States. However even after the war the violence in El Salvador never really stopped. In the last couple years the crime rate and violence in El Salvador has gone to it’s all time highest. On average, there was nearly one homicide per hour there in the first three months of 2016, according to El Salvador's government organization Instituto de Medicina Legal (Harris & Desiderio, 2016). Much of El Salvador’s crime and violence today comes from its gangs. El Salvador has two main gangs known as the MS-13 and Barrio 18.

Today’s violence in El Salvador consists of ruthless gang members. According to CRS (Congressional Research Service) about 30,000 kids have joined the maras and it will continue to increase. Due to the gang violence, children are fleeing the country to prevent from becoming victims or recruited, furthermore families are streaming into the U.S to seek asylum. Alike today, El Salvador experienced the same immigration crisis back in 1980 when the civil war was the cause for Salvadorans to immigrate to the United Sates. Repression and violation of human rights was the root cause, now gang violence is the root cause striking a similar pattern of the effects of violence. In 1980, El Salvador’s right-wing government had death squads to kill citizens for suspicion of supporting a social reform. Military soldiers attacked many villages, including El Mozote in which men, women, and children were tortured and subjected to sexual violence.

Over the years, Salvadoran citizens have been experiencing a rise in homicides in their communities. A large portion of these homicides go unsolved and are a result of gang violence. El Salvador is ranked in the top three most deadly Latin American countries in the world. It has been consumed with violence that includes everything from gang violence, to political corruption, to police brutality, and even a declining economy, which is basically everything that can go wrong in a society bunched up into one small country. Interestingly enough, El Salvador has a history of conflict and subjugation. El Salvador is unique among its Central American neighbors not only because of its small size and dense population, but also geographically it is the

The social condition in El Salvador concerning the people was divided from wealthy people to poor campesinos. Discriminated against the campesinos because the people with the power in the community want to control what they do and don’t want them to do nothing for them. Poor housing because there houses are not build in the proper way for a person to live

El Salvador is a small and beautiful country in Central America bordered by Honduras, Guatemala, and the Pacific Ocean. During recent years, violence and poverty have plagued the country due to over-population and class struggles. “The civil war in El Salvador began in 1980 to 1992 due to discontent with social inequalities, a poor economy, and the repressive measures of dictatorship” (Wiarda, p. 213). There remains conflict between the rich and the poor, this has existed for more than a century and is still a big problem.

As a result poverty grew and the conflict between the poor and the rich became a big problem El Salvador had to deal with during the 20th century. A Central American Socialist Party was born and lead people against the government and in response the government of El Salvador at the time supported military death teams who killed anyone who supported that party.

WHAT ARE SOME SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS (PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE) COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH AN INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED IN A GANG?

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.

Located on the Pacific coast of Central America, El Salvador has Guatemala to the west and Honduras to the north and east. It is the smallest of the Central American countries, with an area equal to that of Massachusetts. A lack of jobs and education- with only one-third of Salvadorans ever finishing elementary school , is one of the reasons for so much violence.

Defining gangs have been compared to packs, teams, and groups. Participants of gangs do not necessarily commit violent acts or commence in illegal matters. The National Gang Center has come to a consensus on defining gangs with the commonalities of three or more members between the ages of 12 through 24, shared identity, recognized by others as a gang or crew, has levels of organization, and usually involved in criminal activities (Shelden, Tracy, Brown, 2013). Some gangs are excluded from this definition due to not proportionate with their usual activities. Overall, we can consider gangs to be founded when members share similar characteristics and establish a symbol to represent their livelihood.

El Salvador is a small, yet highly dense populated country in Central America. About 1.5 million people from El Salvador live and work in the United States currently. In the year 1979, a civil war began in El Salvador that went on for fourteen years, before ending in 1992. During this civil war, an estimated 25% of the population of El Salvador fled to the United States seeking safety and better job opportunities. What you are about to read is the story (This is the story) of one of those Salvadorians, my very close friend Fermin.

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.

“According to statistics from the National Youth Gang Center, more than 24,500 gangs, consisting of more than 770,000 members, exist in about 3,300 cities in the U.S.” (Rank 1). Although it is not illegal to be a member of a gang, it should be noted many gangs participate in illegal activity for funding and will use the money as a way to entice new membership. The “money begins flowing, and with that comes all of the things associated with material wealth that is usually beyond the reach of these adolescents without the criminal activity of being involved in a gang” (Nawojczyk 3).

Crime, death, and destruction is a big problem in Latin America. People are getting severely harmed and killed by many things, such as gangs drug, trafficking, human trafficking, not only those things but many others. A lot of people in the world are trying to help the people that are causing major problems to the world’s economy and the people living in it. Sadly, it doesn’t or won’t stop because people think they can do what they want and get away with anything they want without thinking that it’s bad enough not to go to jail. Although, the crime rate in Latin America is higher in some countries, like for instance Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Murders and violence are a big problem that need to be controlled and solved by not only government officials but the people themselves.