San Diego Gang Myth

Gang’s myths are very popular because it creates media coverage and is a serious topic when it comes to the safety of our society. When the media is interviewing members of a gang; they are being told exaggerated stories of gang activity and misinforming leads to society. Without accounting for credibility, these reports created false perception and fear. Gangs distort their image to improve their status and to generate fear as a defense mechanism. Several inmates stated to being more than a gang, but a criminal organizations in drug trafficking. The fact of the matter is that media coverage created the illusion of power of gangs and force fed the information upon society. Members in the streets began to attach to this false image and gave

Gangs that are involved in drug trafficking are likely to be an organized because they are dealing with a product of distribution. These type of gangs were driven by profit and not so much by gang culture. Most homicides by drug gangs were caused by “quantity/quality of the drugs, payment, or robbery of a drug dealer, or customer than from two groups fighting for market control”. Most gangs that are not in drug trafficking are known to be unorganized and not as active in gang behavior. According to Sanders (1994) research, “most of the time, San Diego gangs were like any other group: going to parties, interacting with friends in social situations, and spending time at home with their families”. Klein (1995) explained that life of a gang member is “a very dull life”. Destroying the media image of gangs will make them lose their status and stop the hype. False stories only encourage power of gangs and influence prospects. Another way to counter gang myths is accessing proper research techniques in the field. With accurate statistics, we can determine what the threat level is in certain areas of the communities and approach the situation at multiple angles without wasting