Single Parent Families: Article Analysis

Blaming the parent/families? Young’s argument for families and gangs uses Charles Murray as an example who concludes that gangs “directly links” to the “non traditional families” (Young et. al., 2014). Murray states that ‘non traditional’ families that comprise of just one single parent normally the ‘single mother’ is an immediate indication and cause for young gangs and violence. As the one parent household is not enough for adolescents growing up in gang-contaminated neighbourhoods. It can be substantially proven by a research in 1996, which stated that “From 50 to 85 percent of gang members come either from a single-parent home, or one in which no parent resides. If the parent is not available to provide structure, supervision, support, …show more content…
In an article written by the Guardian that looks at single parents or lone mothers articulates that “children who are born to lone mothers” are “having similar outcomes to those in equivalent "intact" couples” (McVeigh, 2014). It is difficult to establish the weight of this evidence and whether it still adheres today’s modern society where single mothers may be better at adhering to the needs of their children, which may result in the prevention of that child’s attraction to gangs and becoming a gang member? Young’s article gives many examples of how the ‘non traditional’ or ‘dysfunctional’ family can be effective in handing over their children to the life of a ‘gang member’ but are they just opinions? Charles Murray’s evidence used in Young’s article seems to be bias as he coherently talks about ‘lone mothers’ but what about single fathers will the same apply to them they seem to be more of opinions rather than facts and the only supporting evidence found online which coincided with Murrays theory on single mothers was from the 90’s so to relate it to the 21st century women is sticky as they have modern day single mother has evolved and if there is a struggle then it is accompanied by social factors such as …show more content…
al., 2014) what may be these visible problems in troubled families? Lack of guidance? The research in this article suggests that the more problems there are in the family and the more exposure there is to this undue violence the more coherent it becomes for an adolescent to become a gang member. Supporting evidence may be approached in a scarce way through the interactional theory by Thornberry and Krohn who combined that “gang membership result from a reciprocal relationship” (Alleyne and Wood, 2010) the theory in this report conducted by the secretary of state uses additional social domains built around this idea of peer pressure or schools but do focus on families as an add on so it cannot be applied by itself with Casey’s research. The effects of a dysfunctional family according to scholars and academics combined with and based upon social aspects turn ‘young children’ to ‘young gang members’ as shown by the report from