The Prevention of Gang Violence In Chicago
In the last 20 years Chicago has been ridden with gangs, crimes, homicide, fatal shootings, and devastation due to the loss of innocent lives. Our streets are no longer safe to walk in, children can not experience the comfort of playing in their own back yards, or walking to school. Police enforcement are turning their back to certain areas of the city because ¨they are far too dangerous.¨ The Wall Street Journal, an international newspaper based in New York City quotes “so far this year someone was shot in Chicago every 150 minutes during the first five months of 2016. Someone was murdered every 14 hours, and the city saw nearly 1,400 nonfatal shootings and 240 fatalities from gunfire. Over Memorial …show more content…
A person can be defined by their behavior, personality, or associations. Commonly, an individual is associates with people that share the same interests, goals, or values. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary a gang is “a combination of similar implements or devices arranged for convenience to act together” (Dictionary.com). As a result, gang can also be “a group of people with compatible tastes or mutual interests who gather together for social reasons.’ (Dictionary.com). The traditional interpretation in today 's society correlates with many negative connotations. The word gang is associated with crime, violence, gangsters, drugs and murders. In many cases, a gang is another perspective of someone 's family. Considering, a group of people closely bond with love, passion, and care; it could be concluded that in certain situations gangs are the only outlet for an individual when they lack a family or a sense of …show more content…
In the past, gangs have been viewed as a group of adolescents who have been excluded from a certain groups of individuals due to their behavior, actions or beliefs. As shown before, gangs tend to being an outlet for a family. However, there is a unnumbered account of different attractions that play a role in influencing someone to join a gang, besides providing a family. Jeff Slowikowski a Acting Administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, wrote an article strictly focusing on community outreach, and government policies which lists out key features or attractions gangs pose on certain individuals. As gangs are establish, Slowikowski and researchers have observed that “the gang-joining process is similar to the manner in which most people would go about joining an organization. A youth typically begins hanging out with gang members at age 12 or 13 (even younger in some instances) and joins the gang between ages 13 and 15”(Slowikowski). Slowikowski quotes many turn to gangs for “protection, money, respect, fun, or because a friend” was in a gang. While these are common attraction of gangs that pose a appeal, these reasons only scratches the surface of how gang are formed. Based on extensive research by Slowikowski, the formation of gang have been categorized in 4 groups: Ethnicity, race, gender, and background. By illustrating demographic aspects of a person we are given a better
In the last 20 years Chicago has been ridden with gangs, crimes, homicide, fatal shootings, and devastation due to the loss of innocent lives. Our streets are no longer safe to walk in, children can not experience the comfort of playing in their own back yards, or walking to school. Police enforcement are turning their back to certain areas of the city because ¨they are far too dangerous.¨ The Wall Street Journal, an international newspaper based in New York City quotes “so far this year someone was shot in Chicago every 150 minutes during the first five months of 2016. Someone was murdered every 14 hours, and the city saw nearly 1,400 nonfatal shootings and 240 fatalities from gunfire. Over Memorial …show more content…
A person can be defined by their behavior, personality, or associations. Commonly, an individual is associates with people that share the same interests, goals, or values. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary a gang is “a combination of similar implements or devices arranged for convenience to act together” (Dictionary.com). As a result, gang can also be “a group of people with compatible tastes or mutual interests who gather together for social reasons.’ (Dictionary.com). The traditional interpretation in today 's society correlates with many negative connotations. The word gang is associated with crime, violence, gangsters, drugs and murders. In many cases, a gang is another perspective of someone 's family. Considering, a group of people closely bond with love, passion, and care; it could be concluded that in certain situations gangs are the only outlet for an individual when they lack a family or a sense of …show more content…
In the past, gangs have been viewed as a group of adolescents who have been excluded from a certain groups of individuals due to their behavior, actions or beliefs. As shown before, gangs tend to being an outlet for a family. However, there is a unnumbered account of different attractions that play a role in influencing someone to join a gang, besides providing a family. Jeff Slowikowski a Acting Administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, wrote an article strictly focusing on community outreach, and government policies which lists out key features or attractions gangs pose on certain individuals. As gangs are establish, Slowikowski and researchers have observed that “the gang-joining process is similar to the manner in which most people would go about joining an organization. A youth typically begins hanging out with gang members at age 12 or 13 (even younger in some instances) and joins the gang between ages 13 and 15”(Slowikowski). Slowikowski quotes many turn to gangs for “protection, money, respect, fun, or because a friend” was in a gang. While these are common attraction of gangs that pose a appeal, these reasons only scratches the surface of how gang are formed. Based on extensive research by Slowikowski, the formation of gang have been categorized in 4 groups: Ethnicity, race, gender, and background. By illustrating demographic aspects of a person we are given a better