Living at or bellow poverty level where your parent(s) are struggling to get what they need to survive, pay bills, and take care of their family is very difficult to live through. No one should have to experience such hardships, but the way most of these families handle their money and living situation is way worse than the fact they're poor. Many parents become so frustrated with the way they have to live that they turn to alcohol and drugs, leading to poor parental decisions such as child abuse and/or neglect. Statistics prove that the majority of criminals, both juvenile and older, were abused (McShane & Williams III, 2007.) According Gaines and Miller, child abuse is the “mistreatment of children by causing physical, emotional, or sexual
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Living in such conditions makes it more likely that they will end up living like the run aways just described or joining a gang. According to Gaines and Miller, youth gangs are described as “a self formed group of youths with several identifiable characteristics, including a gang name and other recognizable symbols, a geographic territory, and participation in illegal activities.” These adolescents will search for some kind of place and group of people they can call home and family. A family that will actually protect them unlike their biological one. There’s also a strong need to find self-identity outside of the community he/she lives and the excitement of being in a gang where you can deal drugs and rob and fight and feel free to show your violent side. Being involved in a gang makes it more likely that adolescents will commit many crimes (Gaines & Miller, 2015, 2012.) They will always be involved with the wrong people, act out, be violent, and will find themselves participating in break-ins, assaults, felony thefts, robberies, and dealing drugs. According to a study done on Denver youth in gangs 85% of the youth committed the violent offenses, 86% of the youth committed the property crimes and 80% of the youth did the drug deals. This study shows how gangs support delinquency so they can use the youth to do all the dirty work. Gang members also tend to own guns and never hesitate to give one to their younger gang members. Juveniles possessing guns and other weapons opens up more opportunities for them to commit violent crimes (Espejo,
Living in such conditions makes it more likely that they will end up living like the run aways just described or joining a gang. According to Gaines and Miller, youth gangs are described as “a self formed group of youths with several identifiable characteristics, including a gang name and other recognizable symbols, a geographic territory, and participation in illegal activities.” These adolescents will search for some kind of place and group of people they can call home and family. A family that will actually protect them unlike their biological one. There’s also a strong need to find self-identity outside of the community he/she lives and the excitement of being in a gang where you can deal drugs and rob and fight and feel free to show your violent side. Being involved in a gang makes it more likely that adolescents will commit many crimes (Gaines & Miller, 2015, 2012.) They will always be involved with the wrong people, act out, be violent, and will find themselves participating in break-ins, assaults, felony thefts, robberies, and dealing drugs. According to a study done on Denver youth in gangs 85% of the youth committed the violent offenses, 86% of the youth committed the property crimes and 80% of the youth did the drug deals. This study shows how gangs support delinquency so they can use the youth to do all the dirty work. Gang members also tend to own guns and never hesitate to give one to their younger gang members. Juveniles possessing guns and other weapons opens up more opportunities for them to commit violent crimes (Espejo,