Street Gangs - 1329 Words

Gangs A gang is a group of recurrently associating individuals or close friends with identifiable leadership and internal organization, identifying with or claiming control over territory in a community, and engaging either individually or collectively in violent or other forms of illegal behavior. When a new member joins the gang he or she must go through an initiation, the most common initiation is â€Å"jumping in† or getting beaten by all the gang members and/or committing acts of theft or violence. In 2011 the National Gang Intelligence Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation asserted that There are approximately 1.4 million active street, prison, and outlaw gang members comprising more than 33,500 gangs in the United States. In†¦show more content†¦This person will commit any crime or act of violence to further the goals and objectives of the gang. This person is usually in his/her late teens or early 20’s and on up into their 30’s. The †Å"gang leaders† are the high command in the gang’s structure. This gang member is probably the oldest in the posse and likely has the smallest criminal record and they often have the power to direct the gang’s activity, whether they are involved or not. There are many different factors that push the â€Å"at risk† to join gangs. Some common factors are the desire for power, money, protection, and respect. For many of the individuals these things only seem to be obtainable by joining a gang. Many of the people that join gangs are lacking social support and get an instant feeling of belonging and identity. Gangs are involved in all levels of street crime, from extortion, to robbery, to kidnapping, to drug trafficking. Cocaine is the primary drug of distribution by gangs in America, which have used the cities Chicago, Cape Town, and Rio de Janeiro to transport drugs internationally. When a gang has taken over a particular area or â€Å"turf† the gang w ill charge businesses or people payment for â€Å"protection†, usually from the gang itself. Gang violence refers to mostly those illegal and non-political acts of violence perpetrated by gangs against innocent people, property, or other gangs. Gangs could use violence to protect their â€Å"turf†Show MoreRelatedStreet Gang And Street Gangs950 Words   |  4 PagesApril 2015 Youth and Street Gangs There is no definite term for the word â€Å"gang†. State and other local government organizations tend to create their own definition. The depiction of â€Å"street gang† is consistently intertwined with â€Å"youth gang†. However, the term â€Å"street gang† can mean two particular meanings that raise it’s face value. 1st, it proposes a common quality of gangs: They usually contain a street presence. Street socialization is a huge attribute of young gangs. 2nd, this expressionRead MoreThe Crips Street Gang Essay552 Words   |  3 PagesThe Crips Street Gang How has the Crips Street Gang evolved since the 1960’s? Gone are the days when battles were over community control, when loyalty meant self- determination, not self destruction. In the 1980’s crack cocaine became a major source of income for many African – American gang members in Los Angeles. Gangs were faced with intra-conflict old codes of conducts versus laissez-faire attitudes of the younger gang members. Gang violence increased as many capitalized on thisRead MoreCharacteristics Of A Criminal Street Gang1212 Words   |  5 Pagescriminal street gang. Not only does MLO fit the definition of what a reasonable person would believe a street gang to be, but most importantly it fits the definition of a criminal street gang as it is defined in the California STEP act. According Ludeke’s article, MLO has been responsible for nearly killing a young man, beating another, and threatening witnesses with death if they went to the police. While he recognizes that MLO is not as big a threat or as notorious as other well-known gangs, it doesRead MoreThe Criminal Street Gang Activity Essay947 Words   |  4 PagesMany experts differ on the definition of what a â€Å"gang† is. Police use the term to refer to groups that hold and defend territory, or turf. Experts use the term to describe any congregation of youths who have joined together to engage in a delinquent act (Siegel Welsh, 2011). The State of Florida (F.S.S. 874.03) defines a Criminal Street Gang as â€Å"means a formal or informal ongoing organization, association, or group that has as one of its primary activities the commission of criminal or delinquentRead MoreThe Nature American Street Gangs Essay1366 Words   |  6 Pagesthe nature American street gangs. The research shows h istorical evolution of gangs’ prevalence in US and major reasons for their enormous growth in various regions. Gangs erupted from economically under privileged communities while others inherited their gang background from their families and continued in America. The gang culture evolved and attracted hundreds of people mainly youth. Hagedorn stressed upon the equal division of economic development and job throughout major gang area.  FurthermoreRead MoreDifferent Types Of Street Gangs1868 Words   |  8 PagesSTREET GANGS Abstract This paper explores three different types of street gangs. These gangs are the Black Disciples, the Mongols, and the Bloods and the Crips. The paper talks about the activities that these gangs are involved in, and also covers at least three different topics for each gang. This paper also examines the information that people should know about these certain types of gangs. The paper covers background information of each of these gangs, criminal activities they are involvedRead MoreGang Violence On Our Streets1514 Words   |  7 Pages Gang Violence In Our Streets Gang violence has been around for a long time all the way back to the 1800 and have greatly increased all around the globe ever since. Gangs are a group of people that fight and kill other gangs over turf,money,pride, and drugs. People usually join gangs from around the age of 8 to the age 20. Most gang members join because they have been abused by their parents or because they don t have a family. Gangs treat each other like a family,Read MoreGangs are Corrupting the Streets of America591 Words   |  2 PagesGangs in the United States have increased rapidly, and are becoming more violent and deadly than ever. There are deaths of innocent, young, and gang affiliated people dying each year. This everyday occurrence brings moral and heart felt emotions to these death tragedies. These gangs are corrupting our streets and neighborhoods of America, which is something that is needed to be stopped. All members get introduced and jumped in for a reason, a reason of family, trust, acceptanc e, and respect whichRead MoreStreet Gangs : Americas Growing Problem1056 Words   |  5 PagesStreet Gangs: Americas’ Growing Problem Gangs have increasingly become a serious problem over the past few decades. A report from the FBI’s 2011 National Gang threat assessment states that there are 1.4 million active gang members comprising of more than 33,000 gangs in the United States. This growth migration of gangs has had a negative effect on our youth. Gang violence causes fear and changes how kids behave in school. In a poll of 2,000 teenagers, â€Å"the respondents reported that their fearsRead MoreStreet Gangs of Los Angeles Essay1070 Words   |  5 PagesOnce we finished watching the documentary street gangs of Los Angeles two theories were most prevalent in my mind for why there was gang formation in that area. The first being Travis herschi’s â€Å"social bonds†. Second being Walter miller’s â€Å"focal concerns†. Social bond theory is not a crime causation theory but a pro social behavior theory that helps explain deviance. This theory identified four social bonds that promote adherence to society’s laws and values. The four bonds being: attachment, commitment