Teen Gang Violence In America

There are about 21,500 documented gangs and over a million documented gang members (Teen Violence Statistics). About 40% of these members are under the age of 18 (Johnson). This gang violence affects every child that is in a gang or not. These gangs take in a lot of different kids of adolescence for many reasons. These kids feel the need that they have to be a part of a gang because their friends are doing it too, but there are many ways to prevent them from joining. Gang violence in America has been a problem for years and has only grown since in the US. On one hand some say that teen violence has decreased. “Chicago reported to be a site of ‘super gangs,’ there was a 35% decrease in the reported number of violent crimes in between …show more content…
According to Dr. Sarah Kelly, a Nurse at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey “About 30% of cities with more than 2,500 people have reported problems with gangs, and more than 80% of cities with more than 50,000 people have reported these problems,” (Zietz). Most people, in a gang or not, are affected by these problems. The most heavily impacted ethnicity were African American teens from the ages of 12 to 19. The violence created throughout the teenagers households were more susceptible in a community with more gang violence. Many teenagers think of gangs as a family they don’t have at home. There is not a good relationship at home so they look these gangs. “Gangs often make promises to give unconditional support, and to become the ‘family ' they never had,” (Why People Join …show more content…
Many programs spent their time finding kids in schools or in jail that are being victimized by a gang. They help them have a second chance in their way of life each and every day. “Forty-nine youths identified as at risk for gang involvement participated in the A Second 's Chance program; 37 (76%) were male and 12 (24%) were female” (Hughes). A trauma leader talks to the mother and father about the situation and talks to the child about the deaths they have witnessed throughout this process. They give the child a survey to complete that ask them if they want to be in a gang and what they did to join. This survey gives them a sense of what they are going to experience from other children in this process. They give the children the chance to give up names of others in the gangs to help them too. At first, the children are invulnerable, but the program tries make them understand that this is what needs to happen for the better of everyone. About 20 percent of gang members die when committing a