Why Teens Join Gangs Teenagers are often emotionally insecure and want to fit in with people who have the same mind set. Teens sometimes choose to associate with people who have a bad effect on them such as gang members. In fact, there are three major reasons why teens choose to join gangs: bad family relationships, drug addiction and influence of other teen gangsters. Perhaps the most common reason for teens to join gangs is bad family relationships. For example, some parents have arguments or fights most of the time which cause stress for their children, and sometimes parents don’t give enough time to their children.
There are so many reasons as to which juveniles can talk themselves into joining gangs. Reasons having to do with family problems or even involvement in the gangs, to friends being there, making money fast and having a sense of “security” when with his or her gang members. One of the main reasons why kids partake in gang activity is because of a neglected feeling from their family. “If young people aren’t getting positive attention from parents, joining a gang certainly provides lots of negative attention. Youth who are angry at a parent may join a gang to shock or be defiant toward the parent”.
Food, shelter, and money causes juveniles to turn to gangs. Areas with high gang activity forces/intimidates, (peer pressure), children to join gangs. Less popular juveniles join gangs to become cool or to claim the social letter. Gangs may present themselves as a means of survival to youth who lack basic essentials such as food, clothing and shelter (http://www.gangfree.org/gangs_why.html). Juveniles who live in low-income neighborhoods or poor neighbors join gangs for food, shelter, and money.
Evolutions of the Criminal Theory and its Consequences The theory of Social Bonding comes from Travis Hirschi, an American criminologist who is known for his role in delinquency from juveniles. The theory in social bonding places its results on family issues however studies have shown these results from living in bad environments. As children grow up in our daily lives, we need to socialize with them and teach them the moral side of a human being. When children are not properly socialized with, seem to behave obnoxiously (i.e. hitting, kicking, biting, steal, scream) whenever they react to a mood change.
Many studies have shown that families that are involved in crime tend to set their children on a law breaking path. (Henslin, 2103, p.158) Some people may not know what the term differential association means, but most are familiar with how it works. For instance parents do not want to live in a bad neighborhood filled with delinquents because if their child is around that influence, they are likely to turn out the same way. In some areas deviation is very woven into the subculture, such as inner cities. If a wrong glance is given to the wrong person, it could cost someone their life.
ASS067-2 YOUNG PEOPLE, GANGS STUDENT ID: 1321586 TITLE: WHY YOUNG PEOPLE JOIN GANGS? This essay plan will explore the key factors that influence young people to join gangs in the contemporary society by using criminology literatures. In addition, this essay will demonstrate a brief overview of the term gangs and scrutinize the relevant government policies and practice in response to deter and address young people from engaging in gang’s activity. The main discussion will focus on why young people join gangs in our society. However, the term gang is a complex and confusing word which does not have explicit and accurate definition Bullock and Tilley (2008) assert that gangs or bunch of hooligan youth group is any durable street-oriented youth group whose involvement in illegal, criminal and anti-social behavior is part of their identity.
How to Prevent People from Joining Gangs? Many parents and people wonder or worry how to prevent kids from joining a gang. Some people do not even know what gang is, everybody has their own way to explain the meaning in a unique way. Dictionary.com describes a gang as “a group of youngsters or adolescents who associate closely, often exclusively, for social reason, especially such a group engaging in delinquent behavior.” Gangs are a very serious problem and legal guardian play a key role to make sure their youngster does not become a part of a gang. The absence of parents who work too many hours and do not pay attention to their child’s life, practically they leave the streets to raise them.
They will be guided by their desire to obtain the drug even if obtaining the drug means they will have to steal from their own family. Children of an addict may feel abandoned or afraid to trust any adult. Children may be forced to take on adult responsibilities at an early age by needing to care for younger siblings. A parent may feel guilty and wonder what they could have done differently along the way. Society may feel the drug addict caused their own predicament and that it is a waste of government funding to try to help them overcome the addiction.
However, for children who have no one to look up to and no future to look forward to, gangs can become their new family. Gangs save those who have trouble with money issues and they are a sense of protection and learn life skills while in a gang. Gang activity has been increasing more over the past few years. Today gangs have destroyed cities with crimes varying from graffiti up to murder influencing the youth negatively and lead them into lives of crime. A gang is a group of people who join together to serve the same purpose and engage in violent and criminal behavior.
Finally, competing involves a lot of pressure, which unconsciously makes kids focus only on winning. Although the thought of victory is very important for people to succeed, in children it might have bad effects, once kids don’t have enough body capability and are not yet mentally ready to handle this pressure. Therefore, youngsters should concentrate on developing their skills such as teamwork, coordination and fitness, which in the future will enable them to be good competitors Competing between the ages of six and twelve can harm children mentally. Parents who place their desire of winning into children can make them become discouraged and depressed because their physical and psychological development is inappropriate to compete (Statsky 390). Although the chance of getting hurt is very rare, the fear of getting injured can make children overreact by simulating fake incidents such as making themselves to vomit to convince the coach their stomach hurts (Statsky 389).