Why People Join Gangs

Almost all cities in the United States have trouble with gangs. Gangs include members from all walks of life. They are made up of female members as well as male members. They can be found in neighborhoods, schools, and even prisons. Many people dislike gangs and wished they did not exist. Some people see being in a gang as their way of life. Today, many young people are attracted to gangs. Gangs are glamorized and talked about in songs and seen in movies. Gangs hold a special attraction for some people. Potential members are recruited into gangs every day for various reasons. Even though there are many reasons why young people join gangs, there are things people can do to prevent young people from joining.
One main reason young people join gangs is for protection. Some youths are afraid of living in their own

neighborhoods. They are afraid to go out and play, and they are afraid to walk down the streets in their neighborhood to go to the store or to school. They might get bullied or picked on by other children in the neighborhood or by gang members. Some may live in constant fear of being attacked for some reason. They join a gang for protection, because if they are a member of a gang their chances of being attacked are decreased (“Why Do Teenagers Join Gangs”). Besides gangs being a safe place for boys, some girls seek out gangs for safety reasons especially if they have been abused both physically and sexually (Ritter, Simon and Mahendra,). Since they did not receive protection from an adult to prevent the abuse, they look at the gang members as someone who will protect them from further harm or danger. Besides gangs being on the streets, there are gangs in prisons also. Many young people are sent to prison for the crimes they commit as part of a gang. Even inmates in prison form gangs for protection so they will not be a victim of a violent crime like assault (Sobel). Even if they were not a member of a gang before they were locked up, they choose to join a gang in prison anyway for the protection.
Besides protection, young people join gangs to be accepted. It is very important for some people to fit in. People have a desire for people to like them. It is important to young people to have others accept them for who they are. Most of the time, families provide a feeling of belonging for youth. In cases where this is not provided at home, young people will find it in other places from other people. They may feel like they are neglected by their family or those around them. Once this happens, they seek others to fill the void. They meet other people who make them feel like they are protected and cared for (Turner). They join a gang to feel like they belong to a group. Kids who join gangs are usually from broken homes where the father is not there. The mother is the head of the household, and there is no positive male role model for them to connect with. The family bond at home is missing so the gang becomes their new family.
Another reason young people become gang members is to make money. The majority of people who join gangs come from families with little money. They live in poor neighborhoods and may never go outside of their part of town. Because of their economic background, they see being in a gang as a way for them to make money. They make money by selling drugs. Some rob other people in order to make money or they steal (“Gangs-Adolescence, Activities, and Drugs”). Many young people see gang members with a lot of money, jewelry, or nice cars, and they are impressed by them. For many of them, joining a gang is a better choice than getting a job especially if there are not many jobs available in their neighborhood, the jobs are very low paying, or they have many family members who do not have jobs. Many young people use the money to buy things for themselves like clothes or shoes. They also may use the money to help their mothers pay bills (“Why Young People Join Gangs”).
Some young people are forced to join a gang. Some feel like they do not have a choice so they give in and decide to join a gang. They may be pressured by their friends who may be gang members. They see the fact that everyone around them is in a gang. They may feel intimidated and scared. They feel that they might be beaten up or killed if they do not join especially when gangs try to recruit more members. Gangs may threaten to harm family and friends, talk kids into challenging and risky behaviors, and/or beat potential members when they need more members (“Why Young People Join Gangs and What You Can Do”).
Because of their family’s background, some young people feel obligated to be a gang member. There are some instances where generation after generation has been members of a gang. Some children have families where the mother, father, older brother or sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles are currently or have been in gangs (“Why Young People Join Gangs”). Nobody in the family does not realize that the tradition should end. Many think this is the way of life for them. If they have a close connection with some members of their family, they feel they should be in a gang also. Family members may talk them into becoming a gang member because they see nothing wrong with being in a gang. This increases the chance that more and more people from that family will continue the tradition of being involved in a gang.
Lastly, some members join gangs so their friends will look up to them (“Perspectives on Gangs and Gang Violence”). Some teenagers do not have much self-confidence. They may have low self-esteem and think it is an honor for them to be a member of a particular gang. This makes them feel important. They love the idea that there are others who want to be like them. They take pride in using gang symbols and taking on the role of the gang which they are a part of. They love wearing the colors associated with their gang so people know they are a part of a gang. Some of them display their flags in public and wear beads in a bright color so they stand out (Turner). They may do things to impress their friends or people younger than them.
There are signs parents can watch for if they suspect their child might be in a gang. There must exist more than one sign on more than one occasion. Some kids might display some of these signs because they want to imitate gang members and have others think they are in a gang. Some major signs parents should watch for are new friends especially if they are gang members, gang symbols on belongings, a lot of money, and a change in the type and colors of the clothes (“Teen Gang Involvement”). Another sign to look out for is a teardrop or spider web tattoo. Usually this tattoo is on the face or the neck. Some gang members walk around with their pant leg rolled up or they may wear baseball hats turn towards one side or worn backwards (“Joining A Gang: How To Help Kids Prevent It, How To Tell If They’ve Joined One, How To Help Them Out”). These signs are very important if there are a large number of gangs in the neighborhood or if there is a gang with a large number of members in the neighborhood.
There are many steps that parents can take to prevent their children from joining gangs. First, parents need to provide a loving and supportive home. It is important to young people that they feel loved by their parent(s) and know that their parents support them. Parents should make sure that their child or children know that they can talk to them about anything. Also, parents need to be involved in their child’s education and make sure s/he does well in school. Two very important steps parents can take are to know their child or children’s friends and to monitor their children at all times. Parents should know who their child or children’s friends are so they know what type of people they are spending time with, and they should know where their child or children are at all times and what they are doing (Holden). One last step parents can take to help is that parents can get training on how to be good parents. This training teaches parents how to deal with problems effectively (Friedrichs).
In addition to parents, there are steps schools and communities can take to prevent gang involvement.

For instance, schools can have a no-bullying policy. They can prohibit students from wearing colors associated with gangs, they can place security officers in their schools and use security cameras, and they can limit known gang members from trying to persuade students to join gangs (Friedrichs). Schools can also offer after-school programs for students to keep them off the streets. Besides schools, communities can work together with the police to make sure their communities are safe by keeping out or driving out gang members. This will keep young people safe in their neighborhoods. Community organizations can offer programs for young people. They can have them sign a contract where they agree to no gang activities. Organizations should not allow any gang graffiti on the inside nor outside of their building, they should have more direct supervision to keep the surroundings safe, and they should let the young people help make the rules so that they would be more willing to follow the rules (“Perspectives On Gangs and Gang

Violence”).
Gangs are a wide-spread problem in different areas of the United States. Gangs are not only located in large cities, but they are found in small cities to. Gangs affect all areas of communities. They are made up of many different groups of people, and they include female members also. Young people offer many reasons why they join gangs. Not only do young people join a gang for protection, but they also join as a way to make money instead of getting a job, some are forced to join by other gang members, and some join because they have family members who are in a gang or were part of a gang. Lastly, some young people join a gang because they want their friends to look up to them. Even though these reasons are important to the young people who join gangs, there are many steps parents and others can take to prevent gang activity and help keep children out of trouble.