Why do young people join gangs?

Why do young people join gangs

A youth /street gang can be defined as a closely or loosely structured group of individuals who may express their identification by adopting certain dress attire , adoption of symbolic behavior to include nicknames of individuals , tattoos , hand signs , and the claiming of territory in a neighborhood (Stagg , 2006 . Generally , gang activities include criminal acts of violence , drug dealing , threats , and anti-social behavior . Youth gangs are not simply a large city or inner city problem , nor are they an issue belonging to a particular race or culture

. Gang membership crosses all ethnic , racial and geographic boundaries . Recent research data shows that the primary age for recruitment into street gangs is 11-15 years The average is generally around 18 . However , kids as young as nine are considered eligible for recruiting . What is it that attracts the young people to join gangs and undertake a life that is full of danger , crime and illegal activities ? Among the various reasons youth give for joining a gang , the following are most common . First , related to social reasons youth join to be around friends and family members (especially siblings or cousins ) who already are part of the gang . Second , regarding protection , youth join for the presumed safety they believe the gang can afford (Decker Van Winkle , 1996 . Also reported by youth , albeit far less frequently , are more instrumental reasons for joining a gang such as selling drugs or making money (Decker Van Winkle , 1996 . Thus we find that there are many reasons why young people join gangs and risk factors fall within five domains : the community , the family , the school the peers and the individual

A variety of factors have been cited as causes for involvement in gangs Social problems associated with gang activity include poverty , racism and the disintegration of the nuclear family . Some experts have opined that the fact that gangs are glamorized in the media and by the entertainment industry also plays a huge role in influencing the mind of the youth . On a personal level , adolescents whose families are not meeting their emotional needs turn to gangs as substitute families where they can find acceptance , intimacy , and approval . Teenagers also join gangs because of social pressure from friends . Others feel physically unsafe in their neighborhoods if they do not join a gang . For some people , the connection to a gang is through family members who belong-sometimes even several generations of a single family . Yet another incentive for joining is money from the gangs ' lucrative drug trade . Drug profits can be so exorbitant as to dwarf the income from any legitimate job : teenagers in one suburban high school in the early 1990s were handling 28 ,000 a week in drug money , with individual profit averaging 5 ,000 (Encyclopedia of Psychology , 2006

According to the Los Angeles School Police Department , many youth join a gang to satisfy the need of belonging . Gang membership will provide the recognition , the identity , the attention , the support , the acceptance of their peers...