Sociology- Gangs

A gang is “an association of three or more individuals, whose purpose in part is to engage in criminal activity and which uses violence or intimidation to further its criminal objectives” (National Institute of Justice). Gangs are organized as structured social groups, being more complex than they might first seem. When criminals come together as a group, trouble is bound to occur, and these gangs become a powerful force that must be combated. Gangs are well known, but how do gangs operate? Why do gangs exist? Why do they form and continue to thrive? And what can be done to stop them? Taking action against gangs is important for the well-being of society. Gangs lead to increased violence and crimes, neither of which is wanted in a major city. What will be done to stop these criminal organizations, and will they ever be eliminated from society?
Gangs are known for their violence and merciless behavior. “Gangs can be organized around race or ethnic group, money making activities, or territory” (The Reality of Gangs). Gangs usually secure an area of land and mark it as theirs. A gang will protect their territory, fighting rival gangs who move into their area. In this territory, the gangs sell drugs, break the law, and grow in numbers, always recruiting to gain power. Gang members show their affiliation with tattoos, hand symbols, clothing, and style. They use their affiliation to intimidate others and to gain respect. The average gang member is a “male ranging in age from 8 to 22 years old” (The Reality of Gangs). Only about 8% of gang members are female, and 40% are under the age of 18 (Gang Statistics). He is most likely black or hispanic, as 47% of gang members are hispanic and 31% are black, with only 13% being white (Gang Statistics). The average gang member resides in an urban setting, although gangs have begun to spread their influence to suburban and rural areas. “Typical gang-related crimes include alien smuggling, armed robbery, assault, auto theft, drug trafficking, extortion, fraud, home invasions, identity theft, murder, and weapons trafficking” (Into The Abyss).
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, “some 33,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs with about 1.4 million members are criminally active in the US today. Many are sophisticated and well organized; all use violence to control neighborhoods and boost their illegal money-making activities.” The total number of gang members in the US in the year 2000 was 750,000 and this number rose to 1,000,000 in 2009 (Gang Statistics). As you can see from these numbers, gang activity and membership is on the rise, and is likely to continue to increase if there is not proper actions against such groups. Further statistics from Conroe ISD Police Department provide information on male gang members: 90% are arrested by age 18, 75% are arrested twice by age 18, 95% do not finish high school, 60% are dead or in prison by age 20, and the average life expectancy of an active gang member is 20 years and 5 months. So the question to be asked is, with odds like these, why do gangs form, grow, and continue to thrive? Gangs form when violent individuals come together to commit deviance. Their deviance can usually be explained by the functionalist perspective, developed by sociologist Robert K. Merton. This theory shows how individuals respond to the culturally approved goals and the legitimate means of achieving these goals. Gangs respond in an innovative way, accepting the cultural goals of their society but rejecting the approved means for reaching these goals. Gangs value money, respect, power, companionship, success, protection, and survival. You may look at this list and think to yourself, “well I value all of these things too, what’s wrong with that?”, but the problem in not the values but how the gangs reach and fulfill their goals. Unlike common society, gangs use violence and other illegal means to reach their societal goals. There are many reasons why young people turn to gangs instead of following the path of normal society. Youth join gangs because it provides them with a sense of community and companionship that they might not be getting from home or school. This goes along with the interactionist perspective of deviance, and more specifically the control theory. Youth are more likely to commit deviant acts and join a gang if they have weak ties to the community. Along with this is that idea that joining a gang is tradition, something that their family does and is taught to generation after generation. This socialization has to do with the cultural transmission theory, explaining deviance as a learned behavior, through interaction with others. The last socialization theory involved in joining a gang is the conflict theory. This perspective explains that “people with power commit deviant acts in an effort to maintain their position. People without power, on the other hand, commit deviant acts for one of two reasons. They turn to deviance either to obtain economic rewards or because they have low self-esteem and feelings of powerless” (Deviance). Conflict theory includes the reasons of gang involvement such as youth feeling success in a gang whereas they experience failure at home or school, youth seeing no other hope and having a gang as their only option, and joining a gang for protection to ensure their survival and safety. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is the fact that gangs provide youth with an opportunity for respect and money. They may have little job skills, so they turn to the gang life for economic opportunities and to raise their status. As you can tell from these reasons for joining a gang, it is easy to see why youth with poor economic status, bad home life, poor or dangerous living conditions, and difficulties in school, would be more likely to join a gang. There will always be people willing to join a gang, and for that reason, gangs continue to grow and survive. Once in a gang, a member commits petty crimes, probably sells drugs, and on occasion will commit larger acts of deviance to maintain respect and intimidation. Now part of a gang, a member can climb the social ladder, protect his or her fellow members, and strive for material wealth. On the other hand of things, a gang member puts themselves at great risk by accepting this lifestyle. They may be killed or injured, they drop out of school and limit their chances for education and employment, they use drugs and alcohol constantly, they live a life of crime, they have a good chance of ending up in jail, and once you are in a gang it is very difficult and risky to try and leave.
Gangs are a constant threat to innocent lives. They are deviants, committing crimes, dealing drugs, stealing, killing, and damaging property. Gang membership is rising, so now the real question is, “what can be done to stop them?”. A lot of people would immediately turn to the police to stop gangs, but really they are not the main factor that will put an end to gang violence. Yes, police raid and crack-downs will put gang members in jail or stop violence in an area, but the gangs will move and find new members to replace those who were put in jail. This is not a permanent solution, but is still necessary to keep gang violence minimal and controlled. It is important, however, to weed out the worst gang members, to get the worst of the worst off the streets and in prison, for permanent gang removal. The next step involves the community, school, and at home responsibilities. These three systems must work together to educate the youth on gangs and to help them realize that there are better options for their life. Schools must set up programs that target young students, around the age of 13 or 14, since kids are getting into the gang life earlier and earlier. The kids need to be informed about the consequences of a gang lifestyle, the other opportunities available, and statistics that show the poor life of a gang member compared to a member of society with a high school or college degree. At home, parents have to keep an eye on their kids, watching for any signs of gang involvement, while being supportive and being a good role model. The community as a whole should clean off graffiti and show a sense of pride and unity among their community. The community should get the kids involved in activities, giving them something to do rather than hanging out on the streets where they can be targeted by gangs. Also, as a community, people must be given something to live for besides the gang lifestyle. Struggling youth, whether at home or in school, need to be supported to provide education or a job for them. The same goes for current gang members. Gang members should be helped in finding decent jobs or getting an education that will lead them away from the gang life and back into society.
Gangs are a menace to society, bringing criminal violence and deviance into day-to-day life. The ultimate reason why gangs continue to from and thrive is because of the poor conditions of lower society. With economic, social, and intellectual struggles, people will always turn to gangs for a way out. Programs can be set up and the police can be more strict, but there is only one way out of this mess. In order for gangs to be done away with, society as a whole, the entire population, has to move up. Support needs to be given to those who have less, and if mankind can find a way to do this, then gangs can be stopped and many other benefits will follow.