Youth Involvement In Gangs: A Case Study

Introduction

I am researching this topic because preventing youth involvement in gangs is an important issue. Teen violence and gangs have been around for a long time and there is many family, community, news media and political issues about how to handle and deal with these troubled youth. Gang members compared to non-gang members, commit majority of the violent crimes and non-violent crimes in the United States (Allen, Latessa, & Ponder, 2013). Gang involvement and its violent crime have become a growing problem in the United States. Most gangs consist of people of the same ethnic, racial, and economic background. They usually come from low socio-economic backgrounds, low-education background and have some form of discrimination against

them (Allen et al., 2014). Gangs get involved with illegal money making activities, intimidate their neighborhoods and rival gangs with violent crimes and victimization. Youth violence and gangs are part of ongoing process that involves lives of young people, but is more influenced by the world and people around them.

History of Topic
Gangs have been around for a long time but their reasons for forming continued to change as population increased in cities and more racial and ethnic groups started to migrate to the United States.

Street gangs in this country can probably be traced back to the first wave of Europeans who migrated to the colonies for a better life for themselves and their families. Many of the first gangs were formed as a means of self-protection, with the thinking that there is simply strength in numbers (Howell & Moore, 2010).

The missions of gangs in today’s society have grown and emerged to include many criminal activities such as prostitution, violent crimes, drug trafficking, and extortion. Gang members exemplify a high value for group loyalty and sacrifice and expect nothing less from its members. According to Howell & Moore Gangs began to flourish in Chicago and other large cities during the industrial era, when immigration and population shifts reached peak levels. Early in American history, gangs seem to have been most visible and most violent during periods of rapid population shifts (2010).

Scope of the

Problem
The problem with gangs is that it involves youth in crimes, brings fear and violence to neighborhoods, it brings drugs to the neighborhood and destroys property, whether its personal property or retail property and due to that it will drive out businesses and families. When you have gangs it affects everyone in the community internally and externally. Also the problems with juvenile gangs isn’t easily addressed as it should be, because most of the problems occur within their own neighborhood due to social & economic conditions and ethical & racial discriminations that goes own in the inner city neighborhoods. Media and political officials believe that these problems and conditions are beyond their control when in fact they are the reasons these groups are in those conditions. Lastly, understanding that gangs and the control of their behavior has become much more complex as a result of social change at global, national, and local levels. Immigration continues to change the face of this country, as people come from all over the world in search of a better life (Howell, 2010).

Past Cure for the problem
There weren’t many trainings or programs designed just for youth gangs and violence and until the twentieth century, there was little difference between how the justice system treated adults and children. Age was considered only in terms of appropriate punishment, and juveniles were eligible for the same punishment as adults, including the death penalty (Allen, Latessa, & Ponder, 2013). Over the course of the last century, attitudes toward children who committed crimes began to change and the term "delinquent child" rather than "criminal" began its development with the creation of the first separate juvenile courts. Juvenile delinquency in the United States, because of its emphasis on rehabilitation and the remnants of the parens patriae doctrine or the requirement that the state act in the best interest of children, has become an increasingly complex subject.

Current Cure for the Problem
The majority gang control programs in the United States always targeted individuals rather than groups and have always ignored that the gang group process and structure is also important to gang behavior.

Here are many training programs established to deter and prevent youth gang involvement and youth violence. Starting in the early 1990s a program was created by the Phoenix Police Department to prevent and reduce youth violence and gang involvement. This program was called G.R.E.A.T. According to The Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) website, this program is intended as an immunization against delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership. The G.R.E.A.T. Program is built around school-based, law enforcement officer-instructed classroom curricula. It provides a continuum of components for children and their

families.
Another current cure for the problem is based in Chicago and is called Chicago's Operation Ceasefire. The Ceasefire program was established in 1999 due to the on going senseless killing in the city of Chicago by gangs. This uses prevention, intervention and community-mobilization strategies to reduce shootings and killings. The program is managed by the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention (Gangs and Gang Crime, 2011). There are many other programs but these are some of the early starters in the 1990s.

Summary
Despite all efforts from families, communities, and political officials at youth gang and crime prevention, some youth will just become involved in the juvenile justice system no matter what programs or training have been established. We must protect and nurture the well being of our children and youth by making sure our families, schools, and communities are in the best environment to raise our young people. The best way to help troubled youth is to build an effective system that works to build positive relationships between troubled youth and caring, well-trained adults that will take the time to listen and find ways to help in communities and schools. This will minimize the grouping of juvenile offenders in facilities and separate high-risk youth from low-risk youth and only keep high-risk offenders in rehabilitation centers.