The Causes Of Youth Gang Violence

Youth gangs are a violent reality that plagues many urban communities, and inner cities today. In this paper, I will explore a few things like. What are the roles of each individual in these groups? What are some leading causes for juveniles joining these groups? And what can be done to deter youths from joining these groups? There is little known about the effectiveness of the many programs implemented to counteract the expansions of gang violence, and the recruitment of other members. However, by looking at the way juveniles are affected by social media, the lifestyle that is glamorized on television today. Although, there isn’t know one thing to blame for what is done in influencing these juveniles there are some that can and should held

Eurogang program, defines a street gang as “any durable, street gang-oriented youth group whose own identity includes involvement in illegal activity” (Klein 2007, 18). The National Youth Gang Center (NYGC) defines a Youth Gang as, “a self-formed association of peers having the following characteristics: three or more members, generally ages 12 to 24; a name and some sense of identity, generally indicated by such symbols as style of clothing, graffiti, and hand signs; some degree of permanence and organization; and an elevated level of involvement in delinquent or criminal activity” (Howell and Egley, 2008.). This social concern was directly from the increased number of youth gangs throughout this country. This gang mentality and social deviance have been made, note of and documented over the years. “Prior to the 1970’s, gang violence was still popularly associated with white ethnic enclaves in the cities of the Midwest and East, and gang incidents were typically brawls involving fists, sticks and knives. Today, gangs are made up largely of ethnic groups, especially African American and Latino Americans, and handguns and other military hardware are the typical vehicles for the acts of aggression and rampages so common in large cities” (Franzese,

The perception that countless youths are pressured into joining gangs is largely a myth: “As unlikely as it may seem, many youths very much want to belong to gangs. Gangs often are at the center of appealing social action- parties, hanging out, music, dancing, drugs, and opportunities to participate in social activities with members of the opposite sex” (Howell 2007, 43). Those who chose to joined did so because of fear of being attacked by the neighborhood gangs or the rival gangs from different neighborhoods. There has also been mention on youths joining gangs because of family affiliation, that sort influence can be just as bad as the pressure from that of their peers. Juveniles that are left alone are also prone to falling victim to youth gangs. Whether it be from the parents work or just being unsupervised can be what’s needed to make the youth feel the need to join the gang. Gang activities appear exciting to juveniles. Juveniles, especially teens, are excited by the thrill of the illegal activities. Although, gangs can be seemly discrete they all have identifying makers that ensure their identities to their rivals. “Gangs maintain their cohesion and sense of identity through their names, symbols, clothing, tattoos, and communication styles including hand signals and graffiti” (Pearson). The names can range from