Gang Migrations

Recruitment Determining demographic characteristics of gangs is a crucial step in developing an understanding the ways through which gangs throughout the country are recruiting new members. Such focus on the recruitment processes of gangs is a step toward the realization of the real possibility to control the influence of gangs on societies youth. As explained by Thrasher, the archetypal age of juvenile gang affiliates and members is generally between eleven and seventeen, an age distribution, which other scholars such as Curry and Decker have narrowed to between 17 and 18. Continuing with age, other research has shown that peak age for gang association peaks in mid-teen age group. Consequently, schools are used as recruiting grounds. Recent …show more content…
To reiterate a step further, not all gangs operate under identical leadership structure. This can be identified through the unambiguous differences which one can view through the study of film; perhaps pointing towards differences between the quasi-military like structure of the Italian mafia in films such as “Goodfellas” and “The Godfather”, and the anarchist structure of local drug gangs depicted in the film “City of God”. Additionally many gangs incorporate an array of different subgroups, which can in part explain the rise in gang migrations. Traditionally speaking, gangs have been homegrown and not imported from other areas. Some scholars credit competition for drug territory as reason for increased gang migration, however the impact appears to typically be limited. To conclude the thought, migration appears to be more accidental than …show more content…
At the individual level, those whom display anti-social behavior, those struggling with substance abuse, those with mental health issues, those that identify as victims, and those who have experienced damaging life events are all examples of individuals that may present higher risk of falling victim to gang life. Family factors that may influence a juvenile’s odds at participating in a gang include poverty, fragile family structure, lack of edification, as well as gang participation within the family. As previously acknowledged, schools have been utilized by gangs as recruitment grounds. Factors that put juveniles at risk regarding school are those with poor academic performance, poor school climate, as well as the general feeling of being unsafe inside the schools. Other factors, which puts certain individuals at risk of gang involvement include peer group factors, such as peer gang involvement and aggressive peers, as well as community factors such as high crime neighborhoods, disadvantaged neighborhoods, and poor neighborhood collective efficacy. What is important to grasp from risk factors, is the acceptance of the assertion that increased factors present regarding an individual the greater the risk of the individual of becoming involved in