Essay On Gang Violence

Finally, the most important motive for gang violence is for respect. The majority of gangs kill rivals to demonstrate intimidation; as a result, gangs understand such action earns them some sort of honor in the street world. By ending another frenemy gang member, the gang is regarded as ruthless and is considered a top-tier organization. Also, they use discipline over their fellow members to assure their making their money or defending their turf to let the competition know they’re a well-respected gang. Furthermore, respect comes a long way within a gang, as stated by Community Corrections “Maintaining respect is an important objective for gang members and is significant in the way gangs operate. To lose a fight, to get confronted by an enemy,

to have your girlfriend leave you for another, to be stared at by someone without challenging them to fight are all ways that gang members think they lose respect. Gang members are convinced that any humiliation has to be dealt with violence otherwise the gang is viewed as weak; therefore, it results in the gang losing its respect.

This principle causes gangs to respond, often violently, to minor incidents, like those mentioned above. If a gang member senses disrespect, he or she will do anything in their power to prevent that from happening even if it involves murdering somebody because they care about the gang’s reputation instead of theirs. For this reason gangs will use violence almost anywhere. This violence can take place in schools, shopping malls, movie theaters, parks, freeways, fast food locations, theme parks and restaurants” (Gang Mentality and Behavior). In the gang world respect is a code to live by; plenty of teens tend to get amaze by that causing them to follow into the steps of older gang members into joining the gang. They see how the older members carry themselves and noticed gangs are the result of that, so they end up joining. Eventually, the way gangs earn their respect is by protecting their territory. Each gang protects by killing anybody who intrudes the territory or shows any type of disrespect. Just as television series “Gangland” states the gang Florencia 13 does anything in their power to defend their territory against their rivals The

Crips. Both gangs control South Los Angeles; therefore, there is constant violence for territory since The Crips are African Americans and F13 are Hispanics the rivalry goes to extreme lengths to make sure they destroy one another. Such a thing, like drive by shootings would be a consequence of war as expressed by former gang member Gary Nava A.K.A Big Scrappy would go on personal missions to The Crip’s turf and kill anybody on sight. He believed such deed intimidated The Crips and proved Florencia 13 would reclaim the territory by eliminating every single one of them. Apart from killing an African American, Big Scrappy liked the way his fellow gang members praised him and knew F13 gained respect in the street world more respect meant more power.