Gang Violence Research Paper

“There are about twenty-seven thousand gangs and seven-hundred seventy-four thousand gang members in the United States today.” These gangs and gang members undergo violent acts all over the country every day which is called gang violence. Some people might ask, what is gang violence? Gang violence is criminal and non-political acts of violence committed by a group of people who regularly engage in criminal activity daily. What are some causes of gang violence? Gang violence has numerous ways it can begin or be recognized, but the most popular is colors. This may appear a bit eccentric, but it plays the biggest role of gang violence. Let’s use Bloods and Crips for example. An innocent person from the bloods neighborhood may walk to his friend's …show more content…
These things happen every day and innocent people get killed over nothing. “Over a one year period, youth who were both gang members and exposed to violence were five hundred and forty-nine percent more likely to initiate gun carrying.” In two cities, Los Angeles and Chicago considered the most gang populated cities in the United States and over half of the annual homicides are associated with gangs. What are some important effects that gang violence undergo? Gang violence has numerous effects and they include: death, how it affects people in prison, and the negative impact it has on young …show more content…
There are children joining gangs at the age of eight and twelve years old. Older gang members use these young children to sell their drugs and be their messengers. Most city children from high school have already seen or have been a part of gun violence, drug usage, other violent acts and dangerous crimes. In gang affiliated communities, children are often not allowed to go outside and play. Parents are cautious because at least six different shootings in different areas are triggered in Chicago each day. Children often have to sleep on the floor away from the windows in case of random bullets. Children are often being interviewed about gang violence in their neighborhood. They are often scared and afraid about what would happen. These children in Chicago have already seen it all, so it made them brave. Usually children would respond by saying, “I just heard gunshots and ran into my mother’s room to hide.” However, now children respond by saying, “They shoot for no reason, I just hope that I am not next to die.” Children are affected by gang violence because it is what their life is formed around. “It is fairly clear that inner city children respond to violence that surrounds their daily lives by exhibiting the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Among many symptoms associated with post traumatic disorder, these children experience sleep disturbances, intrusive thoughts, and emotional