Youth Gang Research Paper

Improved Essays
There are many topics in criminal justice that I could write great research papers on but the topic that interests me the most is youth gang members. I want to know do children who live in the inner city have a higher chance of joining a gang then children who live in suburban towns. I have a high interest in our youth because they are the future. As our generation continues to grow old we need younger, brighter, and more intelligent members of our community to stand up for what's right. The main reason I have chosen my research topic of youth gang members is because it breaks my heart to see children victimized. Child victimization happens for many reasons but joining a gang is self victimization and volunteering yourself to be victimized. …show more content…
First one is through my literature review. I will be looking at all previous research done on youth gang members and inner city youth programs. With this information I can compare and contrast reasonings as to why inner city kids are more acceptable to joining a gang. Comparing family structures is another way I will be doing my research. Looking at how the family interacts, if there are siblings, and if the parents are involved. Along with family structure I will be looking at the community in which they live in. Inner city compared to suburban towns, resources such as youth after school programs, youth sport programs, and the difference in …show more content…
To these people they can't see the apparent reality and danger that it may cause. They are focused on self gratification in the moment and not in the long term. It is a shame that we all witness and see the devastation caused by gangs. A major reason that you join gangs is to appear to their peers. Gangs have a distinct appearance and when worn you know who they are are. As a teenage member of society especially ones with little to no friends this could be a positive social interaction for them.

Youth who grow up with little to no family are at great risk for joining a gang. Gang leaders are very manipulative and attempt and succeed at giving you a sense of family. With the sense of family comes the sense of protection. Protection can vary from many things including protection from starvation and financial support. Gangs give people basic essentials like food, shelter, and the ability to sell things for money. It is apparent that kids who live in the inner city are at great risk for joining

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Trying to address the question of why youth join gangs requires the examination of multiple factors, and preferably, multiple theories. Social disorganization theory explains that the place where an individual grows up matters – disordered neighborhoods lead youth to join gangs. Due to its overemphasis on disorganization within neighbourhoods, however, social disorganization theory is not able to assess every factor that causes youth to join gangs. In this paper, I argue that youth join gangs because of neighborhood influence, poverty, and peer influence. Social disorganization theory is able to explain neighborhoods that lack resources and poverty as reasons for youth gang involvement, but it is unable to account for why gang-affiliated peers cause youth to join gangs.…

    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The most common definition of a youth gang involves self-formed group of young teens imbedded within a structured organization. The group is distinctly recognizable by those in their community, tend to have a name, and have a negative association with crime (Klein 1971). The group adheres to a strict agenda and often partakes in criminal behavior to reach a set of goals outlined within the guidelines (Thrasher 1927). Additionally, as determined, youth gang activity is contingent on an individual’s socio-economic status, race, and neighborhood (Klein 1971). However, given that such factors are never standard across all communities, it becomes difficult to place every individual into a standardized definition of gang members.…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Many parents are too busy with work or trying to build a future for their teen and leave the teen alone after school forgetting that they still need guidance to help make good decisions. Many teens feel lost when parents are working all the time some join gangs for recognition that they do not get at school or at home in the family. Being part of a gang allows the teen to receive some kind of recognition that they do not receive outside the gang or affiliation that is much needed by most human beings the sense of belonging or being needed whatever the case maybe. The teen may be growing up in a neighborhood that has some gangs in it they feel they need protection from other gangs in the area. Most youths do not realize the hazards associated with gangs.…

    • 1328 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Why Join Gangs Sociology

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages

    As a sociologist studying why youths join gangs, the approach that would be taken is the inductive approach. A sociologist should aim to answer questions as; do youths join gangs to gain a social status within their community? Or do they join gangs as a mean of protection? A lot of factors play a significant role in what makes youths turn to gangs. To make sure all possible factors are looked upon, it would be key to, observe youths within gangs and then base your hypothesis off of your observations.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Even when children come from a stable family, they still may affiliate with gangs. In high school, countless students in Saint Louis are exposed to gangs. Whether they are exposed to them in high school or in the streets of the city, gang members fill the city and the youth is not…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Violence In Brooklyn

    • 1743 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In an article review by Brien et al. states that, “Given the close association between gang participation and violence, there is significant overlap between risk factors and developmental trajectories for involvement in violent and gang delinquency”. They create fear and violence within neighborhoods, transport in drugs, destroy property, involve youth in criminal acts, and drive out businesses. Gangs can attract teens away from school and home into a life of violence. One of the dangerous aspects of gang violence is its often unselective and…

    • 1743 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    To what extent are the patterns similar or different between both and what are the odds of violent offending among gang membership (Esbensen, Peterson, Taylor, & Freng, 2009). This empirical article meets the requirements within the capstone mission, whereas the content under analytic methods, which focuses on particular risk factors within multiple domains and to what extent are the…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Essay On Inner City Gangs

    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The inner city youth of America is recently being faced with immense adversity, experts estimate that every day thousands of teens in inner city areas are being recruited to join neighborhood or city wide gangs. I am calling on the members of the Rich People of America to help resolve some of the main issues that involve teenage gang related activity. According to helpingyouthgang.com around eighty-five percent of male juveniles in detention facilities are there for gang related activities. The magnitude of inner city teens facing frequent harassment and pressure to join gangs is more prominent in society today than ever before. Tragically, most will wind up succumbing due to fear for their lives or families.…

    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These type of juveniles will join gangs because of the attractiveness of what the gang brings to their status in school or society. Gangs are looked at by juveniles as families that will help support, protect and even nurture them during their adolescents. Most of the time these type of juveniles will be missing this from the home life they are in now. Females that join a gang even have a high risk of being sexually used by its male members but, the females will go through this just to have what they are missing from home. The gangs will recruit the juveniles by making them feel cool within their community and they will also use physical and psychological intimidation.…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Gang Violence Analysis

    • 1355 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Gang-related studies conducted in America strongly suggest that how youth gangs are defined will have a major practical impact on…

    • 1355 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Many children are placed in foster homes and group homes and the number of children is growing compared to the children in schools. They are facing cultural loss and have dealt with abuse or just a poor environment and housing. They also face substance abuse by their parents and a reason they join these gangs is because since growing up in their house and not really having a family this is a way to replace those issues and make it feel as if this is their family and to gain love and acknowledgment from…

    • 1509 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gang Initiation Essay

    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Because of growing up in Long Beach California, I have witnessed the gang initiation process and I’ am very familiar with gang like characteristics. Although I did not refer to a research study project, im willing to give you the knowledgeable content of gang characteristics I have personally seen while growing up as a juvenile. The typical signs and characteristics of an up and coming juvenile gang member can differentiate. Most gang members are recognized by certain types of clothing they wear and certain colors. For example, a common crypt would wear blue as their primary color with clothing article such as bandanas or certain snap back hats with their gang logo or if not; simply the color they represent.…

    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It has been noted that “Youth gangs in the U.S. have existed since at least the 1870s,” (Mosher, lecture gangs). Since the establishment, gangs have grown across the globe. In the fourteenth and fifteenth century, gangs “robbed, extorted and raped,” (http://www.faqs.org/childhood/Wh-Z-and-other-topics/Youth-Gangs.html). Gangs have evolved into street gangs from the violent past. Although some gangs do participate in violence, violence is not their sole purpose.…

    • 2274 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    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.…

    • 1645 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gang members prey on teens that have broken or dysfunctional families. Although dysfunctional families can be big reasons teens join gangs, some families really try to keep their kids out of gangs and they just can’t stop them. Teenagers with dysfunctional families are looking for the sense of belonging and comfort. Some teens were raised in gangs, a brother, sister, aunt, or uncle was in a gang and that is all they know. They might feel a sense of pride for carrying on a legacy.…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays