With many sources that attempt to explain why youth join gangs, studies based on empirical research are optimal to reveal the critical factors. This paper will focus on the key sources that are based on empirical methodologies as the base for comprehending why youth join gangs. The research has a pattern that reveals youth join gangs because of pre-existing delinquency, homophily, and low socio-economic status.
One of the critical factors that explain why youth join gangs is pre-existing delinquency, meaning a youth is delinquent before becoming a gang member. Although this is based on a societal belief that being more delinquent will result in becoming a gang member, studies based on empirical research reveal that youth's pre-existing delinquency results in a higher chance of becoming a gang member (Gordon, Lahey, Kawai, Loeber, and Farrington 2004, Lachman, Roman, and Cahill 2013, Maclure and Sotelo 2004, Yoder, Whitbeck, and Hoyt 2003, and Johnstone 1983).
This can be visualized by comparing youth who join gangs with youth who do not join. As suggested by Gordon et al. the youth who join gangs have more pre-existing delinquency versus youth who do not join (2004). This lives up to the societal belief that when a child behaves well, they will have a bright future versus children that cause serious trouble. In addition, there is a positive correlation between likelihood of being a gang member and pre-existing delinquent behaviour (Thornberry et al. 2003 as cited in Gordon et al. 2004), despite the fact that children do not stay in gangs for a long time. Thornberry et al. further support this by revealing that youth boys who are antisocial to begin with are more likely to be recruited into a gang (1993 and 1994). This makes se...
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...s that have been explored.
Works Cited
Gordon, Rachel A., Benjamin B. Lahey, Eriko Kawai, Rolf Loeber & Magda Stouthamer-Loeber, and David P. Farrington. 2004. "Antisocial Behaviour and Youth Gang Membership: Selection and Socialization." Criminology 42:55-87.
Johnstone, John W.C. 1983. "Recruitment to a Youth Gang." Youth & Society 14:281-300.
Lachman, Pamela, Caterina G. Roman, and Meagan Cahill. 2013. "Assessing Youth Motivations for Joining a Peer Group as Risk Factors for Delinquent and Gang Behaviour." Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 11:212-229.
Maclure, Richard, and Melvin Sotelo. 2004. "Youth Gangs in Nicaragua: Gang Membership as Structured Individualization." Journal of Youth Studies 7:417-432.
Yoder, Kevin A., Les B. Whitbeck, and Dan R. Hoyt. 2003. "Gang Involvement and Membership Among Homeless and Runaway Youth." Youth & Society 34:441-467.
1. (A) Discuss some of the reasons why minority youth may join gangs. (B) What are some of the reasons for female juveniles, in particular, to join gangs? (C) Lastly, provide some examples of how juvenile gangs have loyalties along racial lines.
In this, Curry et al. (2014) write, “gang membership is simply a risky behavior that some people select into, provided the opportunity is available” (p. 35). Although the criminal propensity theory seems similar to the selection perspective, I believe that once choosing to join a gang, criminal behavior will definitely become enhanced. The collective aspect of gangs allows for members to engage in increased criminal behavior. Due to the fact that the facilitation and selection perspectives developed by Thornberry et al. (1993) are so extreme, I feel as though the enhancement model is a middle ground that explains the relationship between gang membership and offending more logically. Essentially, the enhancement perspective offers a more rational approach when understanding the relationship between gang membership and
Morch, S., & Andersen, H. (2012). Becoming a Gang Member: Youth Life and Gang Youth. Online Submission
In 2003 as a response to communities with a large amount and growing number of youth gangs the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), a branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, initiated the Gang Reduction Program (GRP) (U.S. Department of Justice 2008). The formation of gangs is seen as a response to system failures and community dysfunction. As a result, one of OJJPD’s anti-gang initiatives is to make communities safer and have a pro-social environment (U.S. Department of Justice 2008). Furthermore, OJJDP plans to provide economic and social opportunities that gangs often promise to new recruits which are often obtained in an illegal and dangerous fashion (U.S. Department of Justice 2008). OJJDP believes that the GRP is capable of addressing the underlying issues for the increasing popularity and intensity of gang activity in specific suburban and rural neighborhoods (U.S. Department of Justice 2008). The program takes an integrative approach to dealing with the issue of increasing membership and participation with gangs. The following will discuss the program’s goal, theoretical basis, methods of operation, and overall effectiveness. After reviewing these major aspects of the GRP I will personally assess the value of this program and conclude whether or not the evidence supporting the program’s efficiency is strong enough for me to recommend it for implementation.
Gangs have been a point of concern for states and societies around the world for centuries. Youth gangs are not exempt from that same categorization and have operated for the same amount of time worldwide. Over the last century however, a proliferation of youth gangs has been witnessed, especially among Hispanic youths immigrating into the United States. Researchers and scholars have offered multiple theories as to why youths, and Hispanics youths in particular integrate themselves into gang organizations. Three schools of thought arise when conducting gang integration research. Rational Economics Theory1 proposes that youths, and all individuals, join gangs for financial and material benefit. Cultural Deviance Theory considers youth gang members as exposed to a lower class subculture that rationalizes and even promotes crime, delinquency and gang membership, contrasting to the “normal” set of prescribed values and culture in more civilized society. Acculturation Theory argues that youths join gangs as a means to be acculturated by ethnically or compositionally similar peers, whether as a response to ethnic marginalization by members of the host country or inability to acculturate to their new home.
Understanding is important “not because terrorists deserve sympathy—they do not—but because understanding their state of mind is necessary to limiting the risk” (Stern, 215). Therefore, in understanding why youth join gangs, a possible solution may rise. One reason as to why youth join gangs is identity. Once one finds a place of belonging it reinforces the mental and emotional security that is essential to human security (Bhangoo Randhawa, PACS 10). This belonging is quite strong and gang members develop into family. Soon after joining, a child has found their father, their brother, their grandfather; a family that not many Salvadoran youth have seeing as many families are broken. Thus a threat on a gang is not only a direct personal threat but a threat on one’s family. MS-13 and Barrio 18 stand for different beliefs in which they both feel their personal gang is in right. In addition, “the degree to which exclusive individual or group identities are reflected or represented in the definition of the collective national identity makes the issue of of identity a public concern” (Deng, 80). As a result, if someone is does not agree with the gang completely, they are automatically against the gang and henceforth violence continues affecting not only the gangs themselves, but every other outsider as
Gang involvement has been quite higher than past years. The 2008 National Youth Gang Survey estimates that about 32.4 percent of all cities, suburban areas, towns, and rural counties had a gang problem (Egley et al., 2010). This represented a 15 percent increase from the year 2002. The total number of gangs has also increased by 28 percent and total gang members have increased by 6 percent (Egley et al., 2010). This shows how relevant gang related activity is in today’s society. More locations are beginning to experience gang activity for the first time. Gang crime has also been on the rise in the past...
The presence of gang violence has been a long lasting problem in Philadelphia. Since the American Revolution, gangs have been overpopulating the streets of Philadelphia (Johnson, Muhlhausen, 2005). Most gangs in history have been of lower class members of society, and they often are immigrants into the U.S (Teen Gangs, 1996). Gangs provided lower class teens to have an opportunity to bond with other lower class teens. However over time, the original motive of being in a gang has changed. In the past, gangs used to provide an escape for teens to express themselves, let out aggression, and to socialize with their peers. It was also an opportunity for teens to control their territory and fit in (Johnson, Muhlhausen, 2005). In the past, authorities would only focus on symptoms of gang violence and not the root. They would focus on arresting crime members instead of preventing gang violence. Gangs are beginning to expand from inner-city blo...
3. Maclure, Richard, and Melvin Sotelo. 2004. "Youth Gangs in Nicaragua: Gang Membership as Structured Individualization." Journal of Youth Studies 7:417-432.
Have you ever wondered why gangs do what they do? I know I’ve always pondered on that question! Well throughout this research paper I will explain why people get caught up in gangs and commit the criminal acts they do. I will also thoroughly cover the average gang member’s personality and overall lifestyle. Those two factors play a key role in why people join gangs. After I’ve explained why gangs members chose that lifestyle I will than move into the history of gangs. I will cover the beginning of street and prison gangs. Many believe street and prison gangs are the same, but I will explain the key characteristics that set them apart. How they originated, why they started, and where did they begin? Those will be just a few
Belliar, Paul E., and Thomas L. McNulty. 2009. “Gang Membership, Drug Selling, and Violence in Neighborhood Context.” JQ: Justice Quarterly 26 (4): 644-69. Web. 15 March 2014.
doi:10.1177/0011128707306017. Roman, C. G., Lachman, P., & Cahill, M. (2013). Assessing youth motivations for joining a peer group as risk factors for delinquent and gang behavior. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 11(3), 212- 229. doi:10.1177/1541204012461510.
With excitements, many teens get hurry out to disobey authority or involvement in crimes. The young may be engrossed to the mob’s way of living as it stays out of the law and takes place in illegal behaviors. Others prefer to be in the mob because of the many problems they encounter at homes. With the promise of a greater life by the gangs then the excited teens get attracted to the illegal activities of the mob (Bryman, 2008).
I must admit that this class and it's statistics continue to shock me! As my son is of a age and has certain risk factors that would make him succeptable to gang membership. I was shocked to learn that only 1% of the population are gang members. That's 1 in every 100 people.(Pyrooz, 2013). I believe that this is definitely based on the neighborhood you live in and the culture you are brought up around. While other studies have proven the gang rates to be more they all conclude that gang activity peaks at around age 15. The National Gang Center reports that 50 to 67% of gang members are 18 or older. While gang involvement usually lasts 2 years or less adolescense is a time where individuals are finding and learning who they are and want to
A gang can be defined as a group of people who unite to serve a common purpose and engage in violent or otherwise criminal behavior. (http://www.ci.torrance.ca.us) The types of crimes committed by gang members differ between gangs, but the crimes generally associated with gangs include vandalism, robbery, drug-trafficking, assault, arson, and murder. There are many reasons why teenagers may join gangs. The root causes of violent gang formation are poverty, stressed families, unemployment, under-employment, under-education, racism, and the breakdown of sociocultural institutions. (http://www.instanet.com) Many people join gangs for protection from violent people in other gangs. (http://www.public.iastate.edu) Other people join gangs for the sense of family that comes along with it. The youth gang satisfies a void - the child's desire to feel secure. It provides the child with a sense of identity, belonging, power, and protection. The gang provides a protective barrier against the outside world. (http://www.highways.com)