Preview

Case Study: Why Do Youth Join Gangs

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1401 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Case Study: Why Do Youth Join Gangs
Presently, youths and adolescent teens have become progressively enticed to join gangs. An individual joining a gang or a non-criminal group consists of different pushes and pulls that work in tandem to represent an attraction or dominating force. In this case, for example, “gang membership can increase status among peers, especially girls (for boys)” while also allowing the opportunity to be with them (Why Do Youth Join Gangs?). Gangs also provide a sense of excitement through illicit drug selling and the ability to earn money. By committing these illicit acts, youths perceive themselves making a rational choice in their decision to join a gang. It is assumed candidates for gangs are already delinquent or have a high probability for delinquency …show more content…
Affiliation with gangs as an adolescent teen impedes academic success. By having low commitment to school and high levels of anti-social behavior, creates a label for any youth to be known as someone who is “learning disabled” (Why Do Youth Join Gangs?). A youth that is negatively labeled becomes trapped in that label due to the process of tagging. In this circumstance, “tagging is the process whereby an individual is negatively defined by the agencies of justice” (Schmalleger, 2014 pg. 231). The justice defined in this case, are the teachers and distant students towards a youth. Secondary deviance is a result of tagging and plays a forceful role on the youth to internalize their negative labels placed upon by others to assume the role of the …show more content…
Certain behaviors demonstrated by the adolescent become unregulated and uncontrolled. These youths grow up and due to their unregulated behavior, consequently corrupt the future youths of the community they live in (Why Do Youth Join Gangs?). Their behaviors become cultural norms within the community resulting in the creation of barriers that prevent social and economic opportunities. The defiant character that may manifest from gang affiliation produces a “fatalistic view of the world” providing the youth with the interpretation that everything or anything that happens around them is fate and
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gang-Involved Youth Summary
    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Gang-Involved Youth Summary

    In the article that we read entitled "Are the Risk and Protective Factors Similar for Gang-Involved, Pressured-to-Join, and Non-Gang-Involved Youth? A Social-Ecological Analysis” written by Gabriel J. Merrin, Jun Sung Hong, and Dorothy L. Espelage. I found that the article was a very great source of enlightenment of the world of the gang involvement. I am going to share with everyone the things in the article that got my attention. I found that it was strange that males are more than likely to become involved in gangs more so than females. Youth boys and girls are higher risks for joining or being involved with an organized group of criminals if the youth has depression, traumatic stress, anti-social behavior and suicidal ideation. In addition to…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sutherland's Differential Association Theory
    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Sutherland's Differential Association Theory

    Sutherland’s theory that deviance occurs through association can help explain youth gang membership. It has been noted that there is evidence that the family of an adolescent has an enormous influence on juvenile delinquency (Church, Taylor, & Warton, 2009). It has been…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Four Theories Of Youth Gangs
    • 216 Words
    • 1 Page

    Four Theories Of Youth Gangs

    There are many theories that could be brought about with youth gangs. Lifestyle and Routine Activity are theories that could be best explained when it comes to youth gangs. Youth gangs partake in many situations where it becomes a lifestyle. Not all youth gangs are the same, so each of them would react off of something different. For example, if there is someone who wants to become part of a particular gang; they will do anything they possible can to join. Once a youth become accustomed to their way of life by being in a gang; everything starts to occur naturally. The next step that will follow after this is the routine activity. A youth can becomes involved in a gang and start to realize that there are certain things you have to do. Committing…

    • 216 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Delinquency In The 1920's
    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Delinquency In The 1920's

    There are three distinct types of gangs that might form in neighborhoods: criminal gangs, conflict gangs, and retreatist gangs. Criminal gangs exist in organized communities in which younger offenders can gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful criminals from older offenders. These gangs are likely to commit crimes such as drug dealing, commercial theft burglary, and other crimes with an economic motive. Conflict gangs don’t have the access to these illegitimate opportunity structures to obtain their goals. These gangs are highly disorganized; there are no adult criminal role models to tutor these youths. Most of the crime these gangs do is individualistic and unorganized. These people may do crazy acts of violence out of anger and frustration. Retreatist gangs may exist in neighborhoods that either do or do not have illegitimate opportunity structures, or they may not have access to those structures. These gangs sell small amounts of drugs. Criminal and Retreatist gangs sell drugs. Conflict and Retreatist gangs do poorly…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Adolescent Gang Members Delinquent Behavior
    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Adolescent Gang Members Delinquent Behavior

    Three different explanations for adolescent gang members delinquent behavior: 1) Selection hypothesis – adolescents who commit more crimes join gangs. 2) Facilitation hypotheses – gang membership increases delinquent behavior. 3) Enhancement hypothesis – both the selection and facilitation work together to increase delinquency. The data suggest that for “person offences” and “Property offences” the selection and enhancement hypothesis are supported. The transient gang members support the facilitation model and stable gang members support the enhancement model. For “drug sales” and “drug use” the results were inconclusive since the highest drug sales and use occurred while in the gang but upon leaving the gang drug sales and use volume did not…

    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Tattoos: Should Youth Join Gangs
    • 1454 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Tattoos: Should Youth Join Gangs

    A study interviewed teenagers (aged 10-19) in Chicago and reported that “75% had witnessed a robbery, stabbing, shooting, and/or killing. 45% had witnessed more than one violent incident.” With this chronic violence in these communities coupled with the fear of gang members, it is no wonder why the youth join gangs. With gang membership, individuals are apart of a group that protects one another. Therefore, gangs are a natural adaptation to the environment they are surrounded by and garner power from the ability to recruit members. Their own terrifying image using physical items (clothing, accessories, and/or tattoos) create an image of power. Evidence has shown “recruitment tactics include… fear/intimidation, especially when children live in gang-infested neighborhoods.” Gangs target youth in these areas because they are vulnerable because of their current situation. They offer them safety, a family, and protection, something their own family and community cannot provide. The ability to successfully recruit members is proof of their dominance and validates their physical image. However, there are other ways used to recruit potential…

    • 1454 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Gang Involvement Research Paper
    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gang Involvement Research Paper

    After investigating adolescents’ gang involvement, I come to recognize that adolescents’ gang involvement has become a major societal concern. Adolescent affiliation with gangs and delinquent behavior numbers has soared as of recently and may continue to due to numerous societal issues. In the article “The Origins of Black Crime,” author, William Cross, agrees when he states, “black delinquency rate steadily increased between 1920 till 1940, with greater crime involvement in the more run-down sections of the black community, where broken black families resided” (Cross, 2003, pg 7). Societal issues that range from poverty, lack of proper education and poor schools, unbalanced family structures, abuse, neglect,…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Inner City Gangs Essay
    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Inner City Gangs Essay

    There are many different reasons as to why a young person may join a gang that lives in the inner city, however for this paper, only a few will be discussed. One reason that a young person may join a gang is peer pressure from other teenagers and the need to fit in. A young person growing up in a family that has gang members in it is another reason for a young person to join a gang. “One way to know about gangs is to know gang members, to live with gang members, to see gang members on neighborhood streets” (Cadwallader 2002). If a young person is exposed to gangs then the chances are good that they will join that gang so that they fit in or to make their family members…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Do People Join Gangs
    • 1729 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Why Do People Join Gangs

    Gangs, or most people define as a group of criminals who band together for mutual protection and profit, are still widely increasing in the United States today. Even though everyone can agree that any gang related activities and crimes are against the law, people still joins it regardless with various reasons: Desire for protection, to appear cool, and have a sense of family.…

    • 1729 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Importance Of Understanding Gangs
    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Importance Of Understanding Gangs

    When a gang becomes a genuine gang it is at this time when they become a great concern as a threat to society. The formation, expansion and the consequent actions of gangs greatly affect society. It has been consistently found that gangs are normally linked to serious crimes and violence (Decker, Melde & Pyrooz, 2013). As these gangs become constant and stable fixtures in their community they become a permanent option for marginalized…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Social Benefits Of Gangs
    • 1184 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Social Benefits Of Gangs

    In society, we often see impoverished communities lacking many of the routine social structures that are present in more affluent communities. Human being have a desire to belong to certain social structures that may be lacking in poorer communities. It is this need —for belonging — that gangs fulfill. Gangs present a dichotomy, offering protection and a sense of belonging to its member; and at other times preying on its members through exploitative practices like gang initiation, prostitution, and drug dealing. Although gangs offer some benefits to its members, becoming a gang member is usually a choice that is made because of limited alternative and lack of perceived social acceptance. Further influencing the leap into gang life is the common…

    • 1184 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Juvenile Gangs
    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Juvenile Gangs

    In America, the rise in violent crimes over the years can be attributed to Juvenile Gangs. In a March, 1996 study, DR .James Alan Fox, Dean of the College of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University reported that from 1985 to 1994, the rate of murder committed by teens, ages 14-17 increased 172 percent. So why do teenagers join gangs and become involved in risky behavior that can ultimately lead to incarceration, great bodily harm, or even death? What can they possibly gain from such a risky endeavor at such an early age? These questions have been raised for years by juvenile justice experts in an effort to prevent delinquency in children. It is very important to dig deep into a child’s environment to find answers to these questions.…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Youth Violence In America
    • 2086 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Youth Violence In America

    The rise in number of youths with gang affiliations can be partially attributed to “the increased incarceration rates of older members and the aggressive recruitment of juveniles in schools” (“2011 National Gang Threat Assessment”). Gangs are responsible for an average of 48 percent of violent crime in most jurisdictions and in several of these, youth gangs are responsible for the majority of the violence. Juveniles are targeted for membership because of vulnerability and susceptibility to recruitment tactics, likelihood of avoiding harsh criminal sentencing, and willingness to engage in violence (“2011 National Gang Threat Assessment”). It is often wondered what leads an adolescent into a life of crime and there are many theories on the subject. Communities from coast to coast are being ravaged by the effects of gang presence. This nation is not only losing an outrageous number of lives to gang-related homicides, but is also experiencing the loss of valuable minds that could have had bright futures, had they not gone down such a dangerous path. Juvenile gang involvement in the United States can be stopped by strengthening families and schools, improving community supervision, and training teachers and parents to manage disruptive…

    • 2086 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Gangs in the Uk
    • 2147 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Gangs in the Uk

    According to the article( Dying to belong 2009), the disadvantaged communities are the ones with the problem which forces the young people to end up on the streets in gangs. Most of the gang members seem to come from the back ground of poor families. The article suggest that there are key pathways to poverty which causes these young people to end up joining gangs , these pathways can come in the form of family breakdown, for example if parents are divorced and the single parent try to bring up the children on her own, in most cases problems start to develop , when these children feel the need for a male role model , then they decide to be engaged with older youth in the streets. Economic dependency and unemployment is the other factor which also makes the young people to join gangs, education failure also affects them so much that they give up on education and drop out of school and some of them get excluded from school and go to the streets and join the gangs(Aldridge and Medina 2007). Addiction and personal gratitude are some of the factors or pathways found in the most deprived communities that produce these Britain’s gangs.…

    • 2147 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Gangs, Youths, & Affiliations
    • 1708 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Gangs, Youths, & Affiliations

    More young people are turning to gangs to solve problems in their lives. When youths join gangs they drop social activities with family, friends, and school. Members fall behind their classmates in school and do not try. A study shows that less than 10% of gang bangers are literate. Gangs destroy teenager’s lives and destroy their chances for a good education and happy life. Maybe it could be neglect from parents, not enough attention at home, wanting to fit in with the other crowd, a sense of belonging to a group, feeling that you are wanted and needed, etc.…

    • 1708 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More