Juveniles look for people and groups of people who same their same morals and values of life. Social, economic, and culture factors plays a role in why juveniles join gangs. One of the most common reason for a juvenile to join a gang is to belong. When juveniles join gangs they feel they belong to a family. Food, shelter, and money causes juveniles to turn to gangs.
(Introduction to Criminology, pg. 175) This writer wanted to emphasis that some gangs are more involved in social structure than the individual differences. Some of these gangs that he researched are from the low-income families and he describes it, as defiant individualism is people that become involved with money-producing economic activities whether it is legal or not. This theory of is linked into seven attributes like intense competitiveness, mistrust, self-reliance, emotional detachment, a survival instinct, a social Darwinist world-view, and a defiant attitude. An example of defiant individualism are gangs that are capable of producing benefits for their members and other people in society, they as well work in their rank, and regulating leadership.
Kody’s life would be greatly affected by the outnumbering gangs growing around the area where he lived. At a young age Kody had a big decision to make concerning whether he wanted to live a life of a gang member or live a life of a civilian. At the age of eleven Kody, also known as Monster Kody, new that he wanted to live the ghetto life of a gang member. Theories of delinquency attempt to provide an explanation and reason as to why the juvenile engages in delinquent acts. This paper attempts to explain the reasons behind Kody Scott’s delinquent behavior and why he decided to live the life of a gangster.
What are the functions that gangs fulfill (the needs they meet)? Suppose you have been hired as an urban planner for the city of Los Angeles. How could you arrange to meet the needs that gangs fulfill in ways that minimize violence and encourage youth to follow mainstream norms? The police’s definition of a gang is a group of individuals, juvenile and/or adult, who associate on a continuous basis, form an allegianance for a common purpose, and are involved in delinquent or criminal activities. It allows the police departments to take proactive law enforcement action normally before the gang gets an organized structure.
Environment Environment has had a powerful influence on developing youth, most importantly in areas of lower household income. Being surrounded by gangs, racial discrimination, or lack of education (all components of the environment) has influenced the youth into the choices they have made in life, either making or breaking them. The youth makes choices that make them feel comfortable during the time without analyzing them carefully because of the way they were raised and the environment in which they grew in; for example, “Monster” by Sanyika Shakur is a first-hand account of the experiences of a south central Los Angeles gang member that grew in a troubled environment in where many gangs were located and that led him into the choices
PROS AND CONS OF JUVENILE GANGS Pros and Cons of Juvenile Gangs The two separate opinions in relation to juvenile gangs come from the perspective of those who experience the life style and simply those who see the negative effects of the juveniles who are subjected to such a life style. Although the proponents of the gang life style are very few and not well documented the inner social purpose of gang activity is based on as sense of survival that in the environment it is present provides social tools and associations that if not present would cause the gang members to be repeatedly victimized. The opponents of the gang life style would be those of the rest of the population. Even those who have not seen gang activities directly are repeatedly exposed to the worst stereotypical results of such a life style from popular media such as news and movies or through continued publicity of gangster rap or other “art” forms that originate from such cultures and now echo through popular culture straight to the attention and popularity of suburban juveniles that were before rarely subjected to that type of lifestyle, even to include violence, murder, and heavy substance abuse. The life style of a gangster can seen easily as one of a career criminal, and in many cases this is true; the question that has to be posed is simply why, why would a juvenile chose that life style, one that is surely going to end with tragedy, the death of many friends, family, and almost certain imprisonment.
Gangs on the Rise in Metro Houston Without a doubt, Houston has a growing gang problem according to a recent article in the Houston Chronicle. Gangs are a violent reality and a way of life for many who are seeking acceptance and a means to “fit in”, regardless of the price that must be paid. Many people have their own view as to why gangs are formed and why they exist in our society. One of the main reasons is friendship and they often tell their friend about how “cool” it is to be part of something, to be accepted. Children from poverty, who experience hopelessness, and who are bored and are looking for nice clothes and long to have money think being in a gang can earn them lots of pocket money.
This because such children who have records of crime develop to become uncontrollable gangs in the society. In this view, the government has dedicated a lot of resources to rehabilitative projects in order to reduce these numbers. In addition, a number of intervention measures have been engaged to help the society to control criminal delinquents. However, there is still much to be done. In this article, we shall evaluate the effectiveness of the measures that have been taken to control the children and adolescents who have a high risk of future offending.
WP2 Synthesis 7/6/2012 Gangs Gangs in the world today have been a major issue to all governments. Gangs will continue to be a problem in our world today because of an informal market, poverty and the youth today. Danny Malec wrote a review on Transforming Latino Gang Violence in the United States. In this article he believes and understands that due to the United States having an informal market, seduces the youth today by replacing family role models with gang members. Grossman agrees with Malec’s views, while taking a media strong stand point on this issue.
Who Rules the Nation? Our society today is filled with gang members and criminals but no one truly knows the point or meaning they hold. Each gang is structured and organized in a different way with different enemies, but in the end they are all fighting for one thing: Respect. They are looking for respect from their peers, from their rivals, from anyone who crosses their path. Aside for their overall desire for respect, most gangs are completely different, but we don’t know why.