Gang Membership

Gang Membership

The pressure of everyday daily life that young kids have to deal with now a days is very stressful. Some stressors can go from trying to fit in to trying to figure out who they are, and may cause young kids to do things like join a gang in order to make their lives easier and to have guidance. Children may be living in fear on a daily basis and joining a gang becomes a solution to the problem. Gang recruiters are very aware that young kids are dealing with issues of growing up and finding themselves and therefore, gang members use the kids low self esteem and other issues this technique to their advantage. 
    The pressure to join a gang may be very strong. They may view their neighborhood gang as a solution to the torment and threats from other gangs. Having a sense of protection is important to many kids. Having security and knowing that there is someone that will have their backs is an important feeling for young people to have.
    If friends and family members belong in a gang, the kid might want to follow their footsteps to “fit in, they may start to wear certain colors or other types of clothing associated with gangs. This includes but is not limited to wearing distinctive hairstyles, use gang terminology, and  get involved with gang activities. Having family members who are gang members is one of the few reasons why young kids might join a gang. For example, as a personal story, growing up I was surrounded by gangs because I had family members who were gang members. So growing up I always thought that I was going to be a gang member because my sisters were involved. The pressure to be join a gang for me got harder when I started high school, I felt as if I needed to choose a side, I felt as if I didn’t have a choice. Luckily, I decided to not affiliate myself with anybody who was involved in a gang. I decided that I did have a choice, and as a result graduated from high school and got into college. 
    Kids often have unsupervised time. If this becomes excessive, children will search for something to do to prevent boredom, of course gang activities can and will fill the excess time. Gang activities appear exciting to kids, especially because many individuals already enjoy taking risks. Gangs provide many opportunities to take risks and find excitement . Getting kids involved in sports or club is a great way to avoid this from happening.
    The appeal of obtaining money fast can be overwhelming for kids, Gangs are involved in drugs and other Criminal activities that give young kids opportunities to get money quickly. Some kids might be offered more money for delivering a package or being a lookout than their parents can earn in a week. Many of these kids do not understand the risk and consequences that will be enforced if they are caught. They also don’t realize that they are being used by older Gang members who do not want to get caught. 

Reasons for Gang Membership

The primary age group of gang members ranges generally from 13 to 21 years.

1. Identity
Gang members cannot achieve an identity in their environment, so they gain it in the gang culture. They often visualize themselves as warriors against the outside world, protecting their neighborhood.

2. Protection
Joining a gang in a community with several gangs offers considerable protection from violence and attack from rival gangs.

3. Fellowship
Gang activity offers closeness, a sense of family that is often lacking at home.

4. Intimidation
New members are forced to join by threats, violent beatings, and initiations in order for membership.

Unlike gangs in the past, we are seeing mixed ethnic and socio-economic groups making up gangs. There is an on-going struggle for territory control and drug market control.

How Gangs Recruit

• Peer pressure, offer protection.

• Threaten safety of friends or family members.

• Offer money for what appears to be simple activities.

• Challenge kids to take risk.

• Attend parties when gang related activities are occurring.

• Family members already belong to a gang.

Consequences of Being in a Gang

Short Term:

• In trouble with the law.

• Drop out of school.

• Withdrawal from family.

• Risk of injury in a “jump-in” by your own gang.

• Drug trafficking/weapons.

Long Term:

• Lose opportunity for education and employment.

• Spend time in jail or prison.

• Possibility of losing family and friends.

• Risk of personal injury.

• Risk your own family’s life.

• Endless amounts of threats, and assaults and drive by shooting. 

 Sources:

• THE CONTRIBUTION OF GANG MEMBERSHIP TO DELINQUENCY BEYOND DELINQUENT FRIENDS 

  • http://jrc.sagepub.com/content/36/3/300.short

Gang Mentality

Reputation, Respect, Retaliation/Revenge

In order to better understand the gang mentality, Reputation, Respect, Retaliation/Revenge are the main aspects of the gang culture:


(1) REPUTATION/REP:
Having a reputation is a very important aspect of  being a Gang member.  A reputation does not only extend to individual Gang members but the entire gang as a whole. In some gangs, having “juice” (respect) in gained within the Gang itself, depending on how much juice a gang member has achieved, determines his or her status or rank in the gang.  Having “juice” is very important in the gang world, how they get their “juice” is also a very important factor. Gang members usually use their past experiences, jail time, crimes, fights and drug dealing as an attempt to impress others. Within the Gang, freely expressing past crimes gives that Gang member power and respect.


(2) RESPECT:

This is something everyone wants and some gang members carry their desire for it to the extreme. Respect is sought for not only the individual, but also for one's set or gang, family, territory, and various other things, real or perceived in the mind of the "gangbanger". Some gangs require, by written or spokenregulation, that the gang member must always show disrespect to rival gang members (dis). If a gang member witnesses a fellow member failing to “dis” a rival gang through hand signs, graffiti, or a simple "mad dog" or stare-down, they can issue a "violation" to their fellow posse member and he/she can actually be "beaten down" by their own gang as punishment.

(3) RETALIATION/REVENGE: It must be understood that in gang culture, no challenge goes unanswered. Drive-by shooting or any other violent act usually follows by a “dis” (disrespect).  The most common way to that Gangs revenge is by physically fighting it out. If the Gang is outnumbered they usually go and find more of their “homies” to keep their reputation. Sometimes they returned right away and continue fighting or the Gang takes some time to plan their revenge. It must also be understood that many acts of violence are the result of bad drug deals or infringement on drug territory. Some question the authenticity of gang rivalry in shootings and other acts of violence

Sources: http://www.ncjrs.gov