Analyzing the Causes of Youth Gang Initiation

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In the context of deviant behaviour and its control, or lack thereof, exist numerous theories and data that try to interpret the reason youth enrol in gangs. That being said, sources based on practical data are ideal to justify the cause of this deviant lifestyle. This paper will primarily address the practical data in conjunction with Merton's strain theory to elaborate on youth motivation for joining gangs. The findings pose a connection among living in a deviant environment and lifestyle prior to membership, a sense of belonging, and economic strain as the fundamental reasons to explain why youth join gangs.
Living in a deviant environment and lifestyle prior to gang membership, is one key reason that explains why youth become motivated to join. This essentially means that the youth does not experience a major change in behaviour due to a preceding deviant identity. In spite of the general understanding that having a deviant lifestyle to begin with will likely lead to enrolling in a gang, the practical data analyzed for this paper reinforces this common belief (Gordon et al. 2004, Johnstone 1983, Lachman et al. 2013, Maclure and Sotelo 2004, Patchin 2006, Yoder et al. 2003).
The aforementioned can be illustrated by studying the difference between youth that take membership in gangs versus those who do not. According to Gordon et al. (2004) the youth that enrol in gangs already have a deviant behaviour beforehand. This confirms the general understanding that having a deviant lifestyle to begin with will likely lead to enrolling in a gang; whereas youth who are disciplined will achieve success via the normative means. Thus, the probability of engaging in gang membership and coming from a deviant background share a vivid connect...

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...re, R., & Sotelo, M. (2004). Youth Gangs In Nicaragua: Gang Membership As Structured Individualization. Journal of Youth Studies, 7(4), 417-432.

Parnaby, P. F., & Sacco, V. F. (2004). fame and strain: the contributions of mertonian deviance theory to an understanding of the relationship between celebrity and deviant behavior. Deviant Behavior, 25, 1-26. Retrieved February 27, 2013, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01639620490253992

Patchin, J. W. (2006). Exposure To Community Violence And Childhood Delinquency. Crime & Delinquency, 52(2), 307-332.

Why Do Kids Join Gangs?. (n.d.). Why Do Kids Join Gangs?. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.denverda.org/Prosecution_Units/Gang/Why_Do_Kids_Join_Gan gs.htm

Yoder, K. A., Whitbeck, L. B., & Hoyt, D. R. (2003). Gang Involvement and Membership among Homeless and Runaway Youth. Youth & Society, 34(4), 441-467.

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