Youth Gangs Research Paper

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There are different type of gang members such as gang leaders, fringe members, regular, and even wanna bees. They may be regarded as an inner clique that determines the basic nature or level of gang activities. Young gang members may even switch from one gang to another for different reasons. For the most part the core members are more involved in criminal activities than a fringe member. The socialization of gangs varies by age and situations which includes access to different roles. Most of the teenagers join gangs to fill the need or wish for recognition, status, safety or security, power, excitement, and even boredom. Most youths view joining a gang as a normal and respectable experience instead of a series of delinquent and violent acts. They constitute part of an expected socialization process in certain communities as they are viewed as embodying such values such as honor, loyalty, and fellowship. Other youth join gangs for security and gaining financial benefits. Joining sometimes provides sanction, contacts, and experiences that will lead to the…show more content…
The interaction of social disorganization and lack of access to resources has lead to the development of seriously deviant groups. Families, schools, politics, organized crime, and prisons do impact the gang patterns. Distinctive features of the traditional youth gang is gang names, colors, signs, symbols, graffiti, turf, and particular criminal patterns such as gang assaults, and drive-by shootings. “Drug and violence have made gangs a big problem for the police”. “Once a community becomes aware of the seriousness then the pressure is put on the police to solve the problem”. Most of the police departments feel the pressure and try to set up one of three interventions: Youth service program, gang detail, and gang

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