Juvenile Criminal Gangs

1092 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Causes of youth crime essay

Juvenile criminal gangs have long been a significant issue with the criminal justice establishment. Youths coming together to commit criminal acts normally attributed to adult and more vicious criminal organizations are now being routinely committed by juveniles. The reasons for these youths in committing the activities have somewhat baffled author tries as well as scholars and researchers. It must be noted however, that juvenile delinquency is not new; laws in the past have sought to control the criminal and deviant tendencies of children, and prescribing changes from rehabilitative to retribution against criminal acts committed by juveniles. Many of the common assumptions-from being accepted and venting violent behavior- have long been considered as the more traditional reasons accepted as the reasons why youths join gangs. However, research studies have shown that youths are joining gangs for different reasons than just material gain and acceptance. The paper seeks to use the theories espoused by Agnew as well as other supporting postulates proffered by Akers and Sellers, Guillon, and Merton in analyzing the issues as well as the possible solutions in lowering the propensity for youths to join these gangs. Literature Review Gullion (2006, p. 1) states that the strain theory has a rich academic “heritage” in defining the criterion for explaining deviant and criminal disposition, collected from the work of Durkheim to the modern writings of Agnew. In recent times, youths have been committing criminal actions and have been engaged in criminal behaviors; however, the term “juvenile delinquency” is of more recent vintage. Some of the earliest laws included the “rebellious or stubborn” child law in Massachusetts. The law was the ... ... middle of paper ... ...ablishing an accurate profile of juvenile gangs has been collected from police reports and profiles rather than from surveys of juvenile gang members. For example, one of the flaws is that though offending youths differ in a number of psychological and social factors, the non offending youths do not differ much from juvenile delinquents. Here, the tenets of the strain theory with regards to youths in criminal gangs can be used by lowering the factors that will likely cause the strain in the life of the youths. Improving the economic opportunities available to the lower economic classes, offering equipping programs for youths who are at the greatest risk of joining gangs, and working to integrate the goals and objectives of these gangs into social uplift and development policies can work to help reduce the instances of youths joining gangs (Pennington, 2013, p. 8).

Show More
Related

  • Why Juvenile Choose a Gang Lifestyle?

    1784 Words  | 4 Pages

    Morch, S., & Andersen, H. (2012). Becoming a Gang Member: Youth Life and Gang Youth. Online Submission

    Read More

  • Gang Reduction Program

    1411 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Hispanic Adolescent Youth Gangs

    1394 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Strain Theory And Strain Theory

    1691 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Robert Agnew, “Strain Theory is based on the idea that delinquency results when individuals are unable to achieve their goals through legitimate channels, achievement or strike out at the source of their frustration in anger”. (Agnew, R. (1985). A Revised Strain Theory of Delinquency. Oxford journals. 64(1).151-166). The norms are violated to alleviate the strain that accompanies failure. When a good look is taken at the theories the strains might not only come from peoples frustrations with acquiring “ The American Dream”, but it becomes a mixture of strains such as economic deprivation, abuse, neglect, or the loss of a loved one. However, most people that experience strains do not commit crimes.

    Read More

  • Gangs in America

    2717 Words  | 6 Pages

    This paper will cover issues that young minorities encounter in the movies; Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008), Gran Torino (2008), A Better Life (2011). Movies will be summarize, and compare and contrast youths experienced. Criminological theories shall be utilized to further elaborate issues. Finally steps and theories will be utilized towards solving issues, also possible methods to correct the issues will be addressed in the end.

    Read More

  • Essay On Structural Inequality Theory

    1290 Words  | 3 Pages

    for an increase in gang membership to an extent. Gang membership and in a broader sense, crime and deviance, are social problems which have plagued every society and do not appear to be eradicated anytime in the foreseeable future. However, sociologists and other academics have conjured up explanations like the strain theory, born criminal theory, phrenology and craniometry which have aided law enforcers in their deterrence efforts. According to the structural strain theory, gang membership increase with the presence of a discrepancy between means and goals. The government could open up more avenues for youths to develop their talents.

    Read More

  • Robert Agnew's Generalized Strain Theory

    1516 Words  | 4 Pages

    This strain then causes negative feelings, especially anger towards those they blame for the circumstances, which leads the individual to crime and delinquency (Hoffman, 2011). Strain theory can also be used to explain delinquency for various groups, such as why males are more delinquent than females, as they respond to situations in different ways (Agnew, 2012). Agnew’s strain theory also recommends policy implications to minimize the occurrence of delinquency, mainly by minimizing strain individuals face (Hoffman, 2011). It is, however, a fairly new theory and there lacks empirical evidence that supports or rejects it and does not take into consideration non-social forms of strain (Peck, 2011). It is also a very broad theory, and while it is one of the great advantages of the theory, it also means that it must be broken down, examined and tested piece by piece (Peck,

    Read More

  • Juvenile Delinquent Gangs

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    Juvenile Delinquent Gangs As a kid I could remember walking to school every day. While on the way to school, there was always a group of kids sanding outside of the school walking away. These kids dressed differently and they all wore the same type of clothes. It wasn’t until years later that I was told to stay away from them because they were gangsters.

    Read More

  • Always Running Summary And Analysis

    402 Words  | 1 Pages

    The gang delinquency among lower class youth (minorities) in Always Running contributes to the strain theory. Shepard says that, “According to Merton’s strain theory, deviance is most likely to occur when there is a discrepancy between a culturally prescribed goal and a legitimate means of obtaining it. The resulting strain leads some people to engage in deviant behavior” (Shepard, p.175). The goal in Luis’ society is financial success among the youth minorities, but their educational system prevents them from doing anything except blue-collar jobs. “The school separated these two groups (upper class whites and Asians from Mexicans) by levels of education: The professional-class kids were provided with college-preparatory classes; the blue-collar students were pushed into

    Read More

  • Youth Gangs

    3412 Words  | 7 Pages

    Youth gangs in North American society are nothing new. When we turn on the news we often hear stories of misguided youth contributing to yet another gang related crime. Even though it is known that youth crimes are overrepresented in the media today, the subject of youth gang activity is quite a predicament to our society. Over the last few years, there has been a moral panic created by constant exposure to the media which portrays a great amount of youth crimes and violence. In Canada there are large urban cities with high proportions of young people, many of which live in poverty, that now have the issue of dealing with youth gangs and youth crimes. Toronto, British Columbia, and Ottawa are examples of Canadian cities that have youth gang problems. The implementation of the new Youth Criminal Justice Act (2002) has changed the way youth crimes are dealt with legally in Canada. It is one step in the right direction for dealing with the issue of youth offending. Although the new act is not perfect, it will provide a better sense of justice to society because it calls for greater punishment for youths who re-offend. Youth Gangs in Canada are a potentially serious problem that needs to be addressed and tactically prevented. If preventative measures are not taken, these large populated urban areas in Canada will have problems similar to those of some major American cities. This essay will analyze the youth gang problem in Canada. It will cover topics such as types of youth gangs, the seriousness of the problem, and the cause for the creation of youth gangs from a Social Disorganization theory perspective. It will also examine the effect of the Youth Criminal Justice Act on gang crime.

    Read More

  • The Strain Theory of Understanding Juvenile Delinquency

    1891 Words  | 4 Pages

    Across the nation, social scientists and criminologists have researched and hypothesized the main contributing factors that promote juvenile delinquency. The Strain/ Anomie theory introduced by Robert Merton and later revised by several other theorists, attempts to explain why juvenile subculture tend to behave certain ways when confronted with pressures from everyday life. Revised by other theorists, the Strain theory attempts to provide the framework of juvenile delinquency and its sources in order to analyze the effectiveness of this assumption, as well as to implement certain crime prevention policies and programs to curb this problem. This paper is going to analyze how the Strain theory contributes it’s principles of delinquency factors in order to explain and understand juvenile delinquency.

    Read More

  • Gangs Around the World

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gangs originated in the mid 1800’s in the cardinal direction using it as a method to defend themselves against outsiders.The idea of gangs became populous, powerful, and a broad influence. But like all powers, they tend to corrupt and recognizes violence as a way of getting what they want faster than other methods.They turn violence into fun, profit, and control.Creating a situation that affects youth in today’s society.

    Read More

  • Why Young People Join Gangs

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many young people join street gangs due to weak family relationships and poor social control. Social Control Theory presumes that people will naturally commit crime if there were left to their own devices (i.e. no laws in society) and people do not commit crimes because of certain controlling forces, such as social bonds that hold individuals back partaking on their anti social behavior (Bell, 2011). Examples of controlling forces are family, school, peers, and the law. Young people who are t...

    Read More

  • Integrated Theory Integration: The Importance For The Causes Of Crime

    2559 Words  | 6 Pages

    This could explain the effect of strains on crime by taken this theory into account. Once strain causes bonds to weaken amongst conventional groups and institutions such as family, school, and peer networks will open up doors to delinquent behaviors, because by being in these social roles causes the person to regulate by role expectations.

    Read More

More about Juvenile Criminal Gangs

Open Document