gangs

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Gang Participation and Prevention

Over the course of history , gangs have been noted to be the cause of much of the violence occurring in certain neighborhoods . Professionals involved in different sectors of society have become concerned with the growing impact these groups have not only on the individuals that comprise them but also on society in general (Ramsey et al , 297 ) It has been observed that levels of delinquency among youth skyrocket after they become gang members and

decrease considerably after they exit the group (Gordon et al , 85 ) Academicians have found it necessary to study and research the different factors that may lead to an individual 's membership in a gang and how to prevent this from happening . This aims to summarize the different findings of such research

Gangs have been defined as a collection of individuals who have promised allegiance to one another and have named this allegiance with the purpose of elevating their status , via the formed group , through criminal activities (Struyk , 11

The most basic reason for individuals to participate in gangs is the fact that society has failed to provide for the basic needs of these individuals , specifically the youth . Conditions of poverty and lack of opportunities to improve this situation lead individuals to participate in gangs instead . In adolescents , a sense of belonging is derived from gang membership . Rejection from peers has proven to be very important in adolescents and being accepted into a setting that provides a family-like atmosphere increases their self-esteem and gives them a sense of acceptance (Wolf and Huffman , 19-22 Esbensen and Dischenes 799-800 Hixon , 2121

Most gang members are usually part of neighborhoods wherein gangs and gang violence is rampant . Becoming a member of a gang protects an individual from the violence that is fast overtaking their community (Esbensen and Dischenes , 800 Hixon , 2121 ) Gang membership is driven in part by the function of street gangs . Gangs are perceived as a source of protection in a violent world (Hixon , 2121 ) Having an older sibling who is also a member of the gang gives a young individual a greater tendency to participate in gang activities

Among gang members , it has been noted that males and females differ in the reasons for joining gangs . Self-esteem , for example is a good example of this . For individuals with high self-esteem , females have less inclination to join a gang but males have a higher tendency to join . The factor of isolation also has different effects on individuals Males who feel isolated will tend to shy away from gang activity whereas on females , isolation does not play a significant role in determining gang participation . Surprisingly , attachment to their mothers affected whether males would join a gang or not but did not affect females with their decision on the same matter . Also , contrary to popular belief risk seeking was found to be a good predictor of female gang membership but not...