An Essay About Gangs

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Growing up in the city we experience more than those who did not. We are accustomed to seeing things other people would not be used to. One thing we are accustomed to be violence, more specifically gang violence. Gangs are a group of people who join together because of a common interest. Gangs are that have been around for ages. Dating back to the mafia in the roaring 20s all the way to present day gangs like the Bloods and Crips. It’s hard to imagine if gangs will ever cease to exist. They are too big and too strong for all of them to disappear one day. I have heard about gangs throughout my life. Every time I hear about them I always ask myself the same question. Why are they formed? How are they formed? Thank you to the internet and with a little research the answers to my questions have been answered. When someone joins a gang there is always a reason behind it. According to the L.A.P.D. teens will join a gang for any of the following reasons; protection, Identity or Recognition, Fellowship or Brotherhood, intimidation, and criminal activity. When you grow up in the inner city, you are at and disconnect from the rest of city. Life in these areas can be tough and it is hard to make a solid living to support your life. When you cannot overcome adversity, people get frustrated and give up. This is when groups would form together to find ways to make money. Illegal activity would be their mode of income. This is the structure where a gang would grow from. The more successful they are the larger and stronger they grow. In the world of criminology this is considered a conflict gang. Criminology is the study of crimes,... ... middle of paper ... ...f the greater society. If a neighborhood becomes strained from society and starts to develop its own social norms that will not mirror those with the rest of society. Then it has lost its social control. “For thugs from the ghetto, violence is a way of life - it's what helps you survive.” That quote was said by Suge Knight a hip-hop mogul who grew up in the streets of Compton, California. Compton is another known area for its high violence and high number of gangs on its streets. Social inequality has worsen over the years, the gap between the rich and poor only has increased. Living conditions have deteriorated over the years. The window of success has shrunk in areas of inner city communities. If you can walk into an inner city hospital and go up to the window in the maternity ward and predict the future of the babies lying there, you know we have a major issue.

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