Joining Gangs Research Paper

Esbensen and Peterson draws on their research on how youth gangs were formed and operated and the stereotypes the youth gangs faced in the United States. Esbensen and Peterson outlined that sex and race/ethnicity were related to youth gangs and paid particular attention to the results provided by the National Youth Gang Survey. According to the National Youth Gang Survey, 90% of the gang members are Hispanic or African American. Based on a study on 11 cities in the United States, it was found that gang youths looked extremely similar to the youth residents in that specific community. Esbensen and Peterson outlined the community risk factors of youth gangs which includes individuals, family, peer, school and sex and race/ethnicity risk.

Many youth experience a lack of positive opportunities and resources, leading them to seek alternative avenues for support and validation. Gangs often promise protection, status, and a sense of belonging that may be absent in their lives. Furthermore, the allure of power and control that gangs offer can be appealing to young individuals who feel marginalized or disadvantaged in society. Economic inequality, limited access to education, and exposure to violence can contribute to the appeal of joining gangs as a means of survival or

The study at hand aimed to investigate the aspects that lead individuals to join a gang, the reasons as to why they decided to part ways with it, and the consequences that resulted from their affiliation. Through the analysis of interviews and observations, several themes were noticeable such as the initiation to the gang, desistance, consequences, and services offered to help reintegrate into society. Former gang members expressed and constantly mentioned their childhood having a major part in the decisions they made which ultimately lead to them being “jumped “into a gang. Some of the reasons this occurred so frequently among so many individuals was partly due to constant profiling, problematic relationships with many of them being at home, or the social environment they found themselves being surrounded by.

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.

It is important to note that the pushes and pulls of gang membership are not necessarily mutually exclusive, in that they may simultaneously impact a youth’s decision to join a gang. However, by and large, numerous studies have found that youth themselves are more likely to report being “pulled” into the gang. This is especially evident in widespread accounts of youth who report joining the gang based on the social desire to be around gang-involved friends and/or family. In comparison, youth less frequently report being coerced or actively recruited to join the gang. This finding is important to note, since the latter is commonly (though erroneously) believed to be the primary reason youth join gangs, with many states developing legislation

Adolescents join brutal street gangs like the MS-13 or Florencia as a way out from a life they feel is dissatisfying. It seems to them to be a social passage to acceptance as well as a form of protection from a life they find empty. The violence does not deter their interest for the delinquency and violence represents the empowerment they are looking for. Both male and female adolescents find similar reasons and some specific reasons to their gender for choosing the path leading to a gang member life.

Gang affiliation is a major problem today. No parent would like to see their children in harms way or in a bad situation. Gang affiliation may make someone feel as if they are fitting in and etc. but it only causes more negative outcomes. It all begins with one mistake which then goes to how some people are for gang affiliation, leading to consequences because of that incident but there are many ways this can be prevented.

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

Teenagers that live in communities where violence is rampant are particularly vulnerable. Gangs and drug distribution provide exposure to violence and violent role models and positive rewards for violent activity. Many children join gangs for recognition, status, safety, security, power, and excitement. Those that are raised under conditions of social deprivation are particularly drawn to gangs. Many youth view joining a gang as a normal and respectable, although the consequences for joining are a series of delinquent and violent acts

When most juveniles join gangs most outsiders perceive this to be because these youths are joining to get involved in delinquent activities. Sven Morch and Helle Andersen’s research on “Becoming a gang member: Youth Life and Gang youth”, state that gangs may be seen as social networks that give space and support for the person, but unfortunately are also contexts for common activities that are often directed against the outside world. (Morch, 2012) Although many people may perceive this as being negative, most who join find the experience as a positive event. One author found out through interviews with gang members that they joined for peer group attraction, an escape from abusive or non-existent families, the possibility of economic gain, and the sense of being marginalized ethically and/or economically from the larger society. (Beare, 2013) What makes the bond so strong with the gang is their culture is imparted from one generation to the next through a process called socialization.

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.

Because their minds are still developing, twelve to fourteen years old is the average age for joining a gang (Wyrick, 2). At these ages, teens can feel the need to do anything to fit in. It is also common for them to feel like the only way they’ll find people to care for them is through a gang. This is not right, as joining a gang puts them in danger, whereas they thought it would give them a sense of safety (Wyrick, 3). It is often times common for teens to “see gangs as an attractive choice or a solution to their problems” (Wyrick, 1).

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.

When individuals decided to get involve in those type of activities many of them do it for specific reasons. For example, people join gang for acceptance, protection, and some are forced into it, because of their family are gang affiliated. Gangs partake endlessly in finding different method for individuals to more effectively get the things they want, particularly power. Therefore, people that are easily influenced tends to gravitate toward gang activities for recognition in the community. According to Goldman, Giles, & Hogg (2014), “Gang members’ actions impact other gang members as well as the wider community; everyone is at risk of being a victim of gang violence” (p. 825). Gang violence goes further than racial issue, but it more intensely touches African American and Latino communities.

In modern society juvenile delinquency has been an issue engaged in by minors. More and more adolescents are committing delinquent crimes. Delinquency can be seen as the direct result of negative affective states. Gangs are a group of youths who collectively engage in delinquent behavior. Peer groups can provide a lot of social and emotional support for anti-social activities. Peer relations, in all cultures have been linked to adolescent behavior choices including substance abuse and delinquency. Currently there are now more than eight hundred thousand gang members in the United States and twenty four thousand gangs. In order to stop a behavior, it is great to understand what behaviors take place within the gang and also which will lead to resolve gang activity (Shoemaker, 2013).