WHY YOUTH JOIN GANG

In our country today, many youth are affiliated with gangs.  In a recent study, the National Gang Intelligence Center states that there are currently more than one million known gang members in the United States (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2009).  Of those known gang members, four hundred thousands of them are juveniles (Gang Statistics, 2009).  How come a large percentage of youth are joining gangs?  What attracts the youth group to gangs?  There are many reasons why youth are involved in the gang life.  Youth join gangs for one or more of five reasons.  Also, their purposes of joining gangs vary from person to person.  The first reason for joining gangs is for physiological purposes.  The second reason for joining gang is for safety.  The third reason is to feel that they belonging to something.  The fourth reason is self esteem.  The last reason for joining is self-actualization.  Due to these reasons, the youth gangs in our country are multiplying.    

          A percentage of youth group joins gangs for physiological reasons.  Some people have the elements of gang members.  For example, in the article, “Why Youth Join Gangs?,” the author states that youth who have histories of drugs usage and violent delinquency are highly expected to become gang members (Juvenile Justice Bulletin, 1998).  Due to the fact that these individuals and gangs have similarities, some individuals join gangs.  Others join gangs for the gang lifestyle.  Within the teenage years, many youth individuals are experiencing new things.  Usually, the youth individuals are drawn to the partying lifestyle, the female, the drugs, and the alcohols.  If the gangs could provide youth with the lifestyle, they are more likely to join the gangs (Morrissey, 2011).  Therefore, when youth feels their needs have been fulfilled by a gang, they’ll join the group.   

          Providing safety for youth is another way to persuade them to join the gang.  Protection is one of the safety reasons why youth join gangs (Juvenile Justice Bulletin, 1998).  Some of these individuals don’t have the chance to choose if they want to be gang members or not.  If they don’t join the gang, they will get physically assaulted each time the gang sees them.  Youth also joins gangs for the protection against other gangs.  Usually, gangs from other neighborhoods will assault innocent people due to the fact that they reside in a different neighborhood.   Another reason for joining gangs is for employment purposes (Morrissey, 2011).  This is because getting a job is hard for individuals with no or little education.  By joining the gangs, the gangs will provide narcotics to them.  After selling the narcotics, they will receive a portion of the drug money.  By joining gangs, they provide youth with safety and security.

          Other ways to attract youth to gangs is by providing the sense of belonging and esteem to the individuals.  In some of the cases, youth join gangs because their family members are members of that gang (Palomares, 2006).  By joining the gang, they feel more attach to their love ones.  At the same time, they are gaining a second family.  This entire bond make youth feel more important and feel the sense of belonging and esteem from the gang.  They also feel the respected by gang members (Palomares, 2006).  Thurs, youth are attracted to gangs because they want the belongingness and esteem from the gang.

          Lastly, a small portion of youth joins gang for self-actualization.  Some of the youth individuals joined gangs because that’s what they want for their lives.  There are no other purposes for joining the gangs.  For example, they are not benefitting by joining the gang.  These individuals are becoming more and more of what they are.  They are reaching their max at what they are doing. 

          Youth are joining gangs for sense of fulfillment.  Over the decades, youth gang members are multiplying due to that fact.  The Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains why these individuals are joining gangs.  They are joining gangs because they need something or someone.  We should find different ways to fulfill youth needs.  By providing something or someone to these individuals, they might be prevented or deterred from joining gangs.      

National Gang Intelligence Center  

National Gang threat Assessment 2009.  Retrieved September 11, 2011 from National Gang Intelligence Center Web Site http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/gangs.htm

Gang Statistics

Gang Statistics. Retrieved September 20, 2011 from Gang Prevention for Schools and Communities Web Site http://www.helpinggangyouth.com/statistics.html

Juvenile Justice Bulletin

Why Do Youth Join Gangs?. Retrieved September 20, 2011 from Juvenile Justice Bulletin Web Site http://www.ojjdp.gov/jjbulletin/9808/why.html

Morrissey

Morrissey, Mitchell. (2011, September). Why Do Kids Join Gangs?  http://www.denverda.org/prosecution_units/Gang/Why_Do_Kids_Join_Gangs.htm

Palomares

Palomares, Rueben. (2006, May).  Why do Teens Join Gangs?  http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=71e1c80cb69b2e741167c3a0709c9ec1

Youth and Gang

              In cities across the United States, a large percentage of youths are joining gangs.  Especially in the past few decades, youth gangs are becoming more common and a growing concern for Americans.  The problem is caused by the rapid growth of youth gang population.  This growth in gang population also brought an increase to the crime rates.  Youth represents a huge portion of the gang populations and are responsible for the escalation of these crime rates.  According to “The National Gang Intelligence Center,” they documented approximately one million gang members in the United States.  Of those documented gang members, approximately four hundred thousands of them are youths (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2009). 

               Media across the country are focusing on youth gang issues, but what is the identification of Youth Gang?  Who belongs to that group?

            What is considered Youth Gang?  There might be many explanations and definitions of youth gang, but this is my definition of youth gang.  If individuals fit in the following descriptions, they have a good chance of belong to a youth gang.

-           Youth

·         age from twelve to twenty-four.

·         a condition of being young

·         a time of life from puberty to the attainment of full growth

-          Under the California Penal Code Section 186.22 (f):

·         a street gang is defined as any organization, association or group of three or more persons

·         whether formal or informal

·         has continuity of purpose.  For example, the group repeatedly commit the same type of offense

·         seeks a group identity.  For example, the persons claims a specific name or they have the same tatoos

·          has members who individually or collectively engage in or have engaged in a pattern of criminal activity.

Bibliography    

National Gang threat Assessment 2009.  Retrieved September 11, 2011 from National Gang Intelligence Center Web Site http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/gangs.htm

Street Gangs (2011).  Definition of Criminal Street Gang.  What is a Gang?.  http://www.streetgangs.com/laws/definition_gang.html

Wilson, J. (September, 2000).  Preventing Adolescent Gang Involvement.  Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.  https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/182210.pdf