Youth Gang Involvement

683 Words2 Pages

Youth gang involvement has as a major concern in many countries. There are different social factors that indulge youth to join the gangs. A gang is a distinctive group of members associated with adolescents or youth who due to the negative effect of various social factors joins the gangs. This paper argues the three social elements that lead youth to join gangs are parental influence, peer pressure, and school influence. A gang includes the undisciplined youth gang, street youth gang whose only identity is to involve in an unlawful action.
However, the first social factor that leads youth to join gangs is the parental influence. Parental influence, including low parental control or monitoring that leads youth to join gangs (Gilman et al. 2014: 205). Gilman et al. (2014) argue that youth join gangs when family not act as a primary socialization agent to …show more content…

According to Yoder, Whitbeck and Hoyt (2003) youth involves in gangs with more suspension rate in school than other students. It leads youth to spend more time outside the school with other peer groups that result into a gang. As per, Yoder, Whitbeck and Hoyt (2003) argue the school suspension, lack of attendance, and expulsion from school lead youth to get more involves in gang. According to Howell and Egley (2005) youth involve more into gangs where there is a weak social conventional bond with teachers or school.
Furthermore, the third social factor regarding youth gang involvement is neighbourhood disadvantages. Gilman et al. (2014) argue that neighbourhood drug availability influence youth more into gangs that leads high crime rate. Also, Yoder, Whitbeck and Hoyt (2003) argue that neighbourhood crime and disorder enforce youth to get involves in gang in order for their safety. Also, neighbourhood drug use and availability of perceive drug influence youth to involve more into gangs (Howell and Egley

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