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... bats or brass-knuckles. The gangs were less mobile so their presence was generally limited to distinct neighborhoods and cities. Today with easy access to guns and automobiles, the youth gangs are more mobile, which increases their area of influence. The confrontations between gang members today result in more serious injuries and greater chances of fatalities due to guns. Even their involvement with the police is heightened due to their greater visibility in the community and increased overall threat of violence (Miller 76).
Although indistinguishable to the outside viewer, each gang is separate and distinct within themselves. An untrained eye may see a group of youths at a local mall complete with the associated dress and mannerisms of gang members and immediately label them as a gang. In reality they may just be a loosely organized band of delinquents or merely a group of kids out on a Saturday afternoon at the mall. An organized gang bases their existence on a particular commonality. Some bases are age, sex, cultural background, neighborhood, belief in a particular way of lifestyle, or a specific behavior.
Estimates of gang membership range from a few, four or five, to a few thousand. Due to the fluidity and validity of gang members, an accurate count of members is often impossible to attain (Snyder 114). Within the gangs are different types of members. They are the core members, fringe members, associates and recruits. The core members are the established leaders within the gang along with the initiated members. They provide the leadership, the nature of the gang and determine the level of activity.
It is these members who drive the gang in search of a pre-determined goal. The core members are the most involved with delinquent or criminal activity. The fringe members are those who generally have a relationship with the gang but are unwilling to become full-fledged members due to various reasons such as age, social or economic status, marital status or simply an unwillingness to commit to the lifestyle. They may be considered "users" of the gang but more often then not are themselves used. The recruits or "wannabees" are the newest and sometimes, most dangerous members. Not yet fully integrated into the gang, they are easily influenced due to their desire for acceptance.
Recruits often perform some of the menial tasks of daily gang life along with many of the more dangerous ones due to their status as expendable (Johnson 146). The average age of the gang member is 17 or 18 years old, but this age tends to be older in urban cities where gang existence has been longer (Curry 150). Recently it has been noted that the age of gang members is expanding both from the low end and the upper end. The most notable change is at the upper end where gang members are staying in gangs longer in order to exploit economic gain. The gangs today are more diverse in criminal activity and money-making. The crack-cocaine epidemic of the mid- 1980 gave birth to another source of revenue for the gangs.
Unlike the illicit drugs sold at the time, crack-cocaine was inexpensive to make, easily transported and resulted in a large profit margin for the dealer. This lucrative market prompted many older gang members to stay-on for "just a bit longer" in order to exploit the booming market for the new drug (Johnson 160). Overwhelmingly, males make up the majority of gang members but female membership is on the rise. In 1992, a survey was conducted to find out the extent of females in gangs. Among the law enforcement agencies that responded it was determined that females accounted for nearly 6 percent of gang membership (Miller 111). The presence of female gangs is often affiliations of the larger and more organized male versions.
Independent female gangs are present and on the rise in numbers, but the majority of females involved with gangs and gang activity are traditionally the affiliated members of male gangs. Females and female gangs are substantially less violent. The crimes committed by females were mostly simple battery or assault. Non-violent or petty crimes were mostly for drug and alcohol use. They may often be used as look-outs or to carry weapons or drugs for the male members.
Females also tend to join or associate with gangs at a younger age and leave earlier then the male gang member. Why do youths join? Youths raised in impoverished and deprived conditions are drawn to gangs for the support, money, excitement, safety or security, power and sometimes for the "love" that they provide. Many youths are surrounded by gang activity through older siblings or parents. They find joining a gang as normal and respectable behavior. Whole communities in some area of the United States hold certain affiliation with major gangs.
The youth interprets membership in the gang as a common socialization process for himself and the community. All the values that others wish to embody through membership in churches, the military, civic organizations or school clubs are achieved through gang membership. Loyalty, honor, and fellowship are part of gang affiliation. The gang is most often seen as an extension of the family.
Especially vulnerable to gang intimidation and membership are immigrant youths. Suddenly immersed in a different and complex culture, the immigrant youth struggles to maintain cultural and family ties yet incorporate himself into the American culture. The youth gang provides a family-like situation for these youths who often find themselves caught between native and adopted cultures. Having to struggle between both and unable to satisfy the "needs" of diverse lifestyles, the youth is often alienated by both sides and is drawn to the gang for comfort, security and support. Youth Gangs and Violence Since the 1950 's more and more attention has been paid to youth gangs and their connection to violence and drug use and sales.
The gang problem is increasing mainly from the standpoint of more violent offenses, more serious injuries, and the use of more lethal weapons and tactics. From 1950 to around the early 1980 's, the relationship between violence and youth gangs went generally unnoticed. The concern here was that the outward results were usually confined to youth gang members and isolated communities. The incidents where drugs and violence were connected to youth gangs stemmed mainly from territorial fights among organized crime groups. The youth just happened to be the "tools" used in the enforcement and intimidation trade of drug traffickers (Curry 191). In the 1980 's Americans noticed a rapid increase in youth gang violence and severity of violence.
The relationship between youth gangs, drugs and violence are varied. Even within a particular gang, different gang members harbor different attitudes about drugs and violence. Some individual members feel their lives have no place for drugs. Their sense of loyalty and honor are reasons enough for membership.
Thus, any act of violence committed by these members is strictly to enforce honor or territorial violations by rival gang members. Conversely, the drug connection is strong for many other youth gang members. Some gang members become involved in drug trafficking on their own and some through involvement in gang cliques. The lure of fast, easy money and a ready supply of customers is often an overwhelming temptation for the gang member. The connection to violence is more complex.
Drug use, drug trafficking and violence all overlap considerably within the gang creating a domino-effect. Gang involvement often appears to increase drug-use, drug trafficking, gun-carrying and violence in order to prolong involvement with drug sales. Some other suggestions for the drug and violence connection are 1) the effects of the "high" created by the drug can induce violent behavior by the gang member, 2) the high cost of the drug often impels users to commit violent crime in order to obtain money for purchasing drugs and 3) "systemic" violence is a common feature of the drug culture considering protection or expansion of drug markets, retaliation against competitors or suppliers who violate "the rules" and maintenance of the drug organization. The relationship of gangs, drugs and violence carries over to the fact that gangs are migrating away from major urban centers into U. S. cities once thought to be immune from crime and violence associated with youth gangs.
Reasons for these moves are varied. With the rapid change in the U. S. economy and rapid growth outside of major cities, some gangs have recognized new markets opening up and have taken measures to exploit these markets. Some gang members migrate due to individual or family moves, while others made permanent residential changes as a result of court orders. This phenomenon of gang migration may also contribute to increased levels of violence nationwide by youth gangs.
The establishment of new gang territories and the enforcement aspects related to this are prime factors for increased violence involving youth gangs. Migrating youth gang members also face the possibility of existing gangs, which may contribute to the gang / violence connection. When encountering this problem the migrating gang member has two simple choices. He may choose to remain loyal to his previous gang affiliation and pursue a rivalry with the existing gang or he may simply assimilate into the existing gang breaking ties to his old gang.
Studies have shown that the choice to assimilate with an indigenous gang or retain ties to an older gang and recruit new members is equal (Snyder 166). In general, gang members actively engage in more drug use, drug trafficking and violence than non-gang youth. The fact that membership alone in a gang is a reason for higher incidents of violence committed by gang members. The fact that they also are involved with all aspects of drug use and sales does not automatically explain increased violence by youth gang members. The most important factor to be considered is that the typical gang member was involved with violence even before he joined a gang. Risk factors such as social disorganization, low socioeconomic status, academic failure, deviant attitudes and low commitment to positive peers all contribute to a violent behavior pattern early in life which is carried on during the phase of gang membership.
Youth gang problems within the Unites States are proliferating. Even in areas where the population seemed removed from the problems of the inner-city are now effected. At the same time the face of the gangs are changing. Smaller, less organized gangs are emerging and drug oriented gangs are on the rise. Gangs are now organized by ethnicity more so then ever and are more violent. We are seeing more gang organization at the local level rather than due to migration as was erroneously perceived earlier in the 1990 's.
The different social and law enforcement agencies are making significant progress in identifying major risk factors for young adults and teenagers, but much more research is needed in order to effectively deal with a problem that is not going away for some time. Many community policing interventions are extremely effective, and are also the basis of a school strategy. Targeting students vulnerable to gang recruitment for special assistance, through the use of peer counselors, support groups, conflict resolution programs, and tutoring. Establishing a moral and ethical education, values conflict resolution programs as important components of the school curriculum. Schools must create an inviting climate and atmosphere where every student feels wanted. Schools must not only educate students; staff must also receive formal education about how gangs develop and how to respond to them.
Offering special programs for parents on gangs and how to deal with them as parents, presenting the information in a culturally sensitive way, and in a variety of languages, to reflect the diversity of the community. Monitoring youths that are not enrolled in school, however, still hang out on or near school property. This can help school officials assess the existence of gangs in the neighborhood, and anticipate and prevent formation within the school. Offering educational programs for students about gangs, their destructiveness, and how to avoid being drawn into them, preferably in small groups where they can express their feelings comfortably. Finally, providing regular opportunities for students individually and in small groups to discuss there experiences in school and make future plans that offer hope and personal rewards (Baccaglini 173). Taking these steps into account does not simply eliminate gangs, they may help many individuals make wiser choices and prepare individual students to more effectively resist gang pressure.
Gangs have been located throughout the world for many years. There is not going to be a simple solution to resolve the problems of gangs. Education and experience will help teach youths to better develop themselves and not be affected by gang pressure. Without the presence of gangs, our schools will be considered safer and once again be treated as an educational facility to all attending students. Bibliography Baccaglini, W. F. (1993).
Project Youth Gang-Drug Prevention: A Statewide Research Study. Rensselaer, NY: New York State Division for Youth. Byrne, K. (1996). Street Gangs of LA. New York: Random House. Curry, G.
D. (1995). Responding to Gang-Related Crime and Delinquency. A report to the National Institute of Justice. Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis.
Curry, G. D. (1996). National youth gang surveys: A review of methods and findings. Report prepared for the National Youth Gang Center, Tallahassee, Florida.
Eagles, D. (1997). Youth Gangs in Los Angeles. New York: Franklin Watts. Goldstein, A.
P. ; B. Glick; & W. Cartoon. (1994). The Pro social Gang: Implementing Aggression Replacement Training. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Harmon, D. (1999).
Fighting Juvenile Crime. Philadelphia: Chelsea House. Johnson, C. ; B. Webster; & E. Connors. (1995). Prosecuting gangs: A national assessment.
Research in Brief. Washington, DC: U. S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. Miller, W.
B. (1990). Why the United States has failed to solve its youth gang problem. In C. R.
Huff (Ed. ), Gangs in America (pp. 263 - 87). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Rodriguez, L. (1993). Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L. A... New York, NY: Touchstone Press, Simon and Schuster.
Snyder, H. , & M. Sick mund. (1995). Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A National Report. Washington, DC: U.
S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
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