Gang Misconceptions

Gangs are very prevalent in the United States and all around the world. There are many misconceptions regarding gangs due to the media, television shows, and stereotypes. These misconceptions have blurred the definition of a gang and when a gang is officially a gang. It is also important to discuss why a gang matters. Gangs have specific characteristics such as; claiming territory, honor based on conflict, and aggressive tendencies. The characteristics are important in identifying a gang to protect our community. According to current federal law the term gang is defined as a group, club, organization, or association of five or more persons (Howell, pg.57). These gangs primary purpose is to commit one or more criminal offenses, the members have been involved in a series of offenses within five years and are involved in activities in which affect interstate or foreign commerce (Howell, pg.57). With this in mind a gang can actually be what we see in the media to something a lot smaller. The definition of a gang is important, but if a gang is not recognized based on the official definition it doesn’t mean it is not a gang.
Gangs play a major role in our world today because of the violence, illegal activity, and …show more content…
Once the characteristics of gangs have been understood then they can be analyzed into typologies. These typologies create the structure of a gang which helps law enforcement and the communities to better understand the inner workings and structure of a gang. The structure makes gangs very dangerous to both law enforcement and the community. They have created subcultures that distinguish gangs, which can lead to conflict between different gangs (Howell, pg.62). Understanding the characteristics of a gang helps to understanding tendencies of particular gangs that leads to better monitoring and helps with preventing crime that takes place by gangs and their