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Gang violence

(URL: Howell) Recent studies have shown that the average gang member stays in the group less then a year. Gangs tended to be composed of whites from various European backgrounds until the mid-1900. Four-fifths of all gang members were either African-American or Hispanic by the 1970's. Recently Asian gangs have been emerging. Two factors have remained constant. Gangs tend to be composed of ethnic groups that have recently migrated and from the lower economic groups. (Howell) Gangs tend to develop in countries with a higher economic level or where there has been rapid economic and social change. (Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential). Such groups are not organized crime units; rather the members use delinquency as a means for obtaining kicks.' It is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 250,000 gang members in Los Angeles alone. (Encyclopedia of world Problems). .
             Scientific studies have attempted to discern the scope of the problem presented by gang violence. The Rochester study showed that gang members are responsible for a disproportionate amount of delinquent acts. In other words, gang members represented one-third of the juveniles interviewed for the studies yet were responsible for more then one-third of the delinquent acts. This proportion tended to go up with the violence of the activity. (Thornberry & Burch, 1997) Eighty-six percent of all serious violent crime reported in the interviews could be attributed to gang members. (Thornberry & Burch, 1997) To young men whom life is offering very little, gangs offer an identity and an opportunity for self-assertion. (Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential).
             There are numerous opinions as the causes of juvenile violence. The main causes of gang related violence according to the leading experts is racism, poverty, a desire for excitement and status, a need for discipline and the fear of violence. (Sadler, 1997) .


Essays Related to Gang violence

1. Stopping Community Gang Violence

It's hard to believe we can answer this question with a certain yes, but gang violence certainly cannot be completely stopped. In fact seems impossible to stop activities in gang violence from happening but there are solutions to minimize gang violence. Gang injunctions are court orders that attempt to address crime by prohibiting gang members and associates from things such as collaborating, public nuisance, and other criminal activities. ... wearing a certain color, many innocent people are harassed and become victims in a neighborhood that is occupied "turf" of an organized gang. Law enfor...

  • Word Count: 1016
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Youth and Gang Participation

... peer pressure, and family association which leads to a vast majority of crimes including drug dealings, murders, robberies, and other heinous crimes. American gang membership began evolving in the early 1800s, originating in large urban cities like Chicago and New York. Along with gang membership comes gang violence, which is rising at a high rate due to many different factors. A variety of factors contribute to ... gang membership. Drugs became an essential factor in determining gang membership. People were not only using drugs, they were beginning to sell drugs. Drug use is ... Youth a...

  • Word Count: 1206
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Youth Gang Violence In America

Youth Gang Violence in America A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of going home to visit the beautiful city of Austin, Texas. As a child, growing up there was a load ... matching their description for another crime they had just committed. It turns out the two teens had robbed me as part of their gang initiation. In recent years, the United States has witnessed the rapid growth of youth gangs and associated violence. As a nation, we have come to recognize that there are no simple solutions to the youth ... gang problem. There is a need however, to identify the nature and extent of the gang ...

  • Word Count: 1211
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Gang Violence

... you read about somebody that was hurt or even worse killed because they had a different view of a subject. However one problem you don't hear too much about any more is gang violence. Gangs have been around longer than anybody can remember. They did not always have to be violent. They could be considered as more of a way to be associated with others ... in their records. Keep in mind these are only the ones they know about. Some conflict can not be prevented with this many gang members running around. However police have noted that in certain cities gang violence has been decreasing. In...

  • Word Count: 789
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Gang Violence

... you read about somebody that was hurt or even worse killed because they had a different view of a subject. However one problem you don't hear too much about any more is gang violence. Gangs have been around longer than anybody can remember. They did not always have to be violent. They could be considered as more of a way to be associated with others ... in their records. Keep in mind these are only the ones they know about. Some conflict can not be prevented with this many gang members running around. However police have noted that in certain cities gang violence has been decreasing. In...

  • Word Count: 737
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

6. School violence

... Gangs have also spread to smaller communities and are not just a problem of the inner-city schools. Teenagers wanting acceptance and tolerance from their peers find those qualities in gang membership. Violence is modeled, encouraged and rewarded by these strong peer groups. The problems that arise between rival gangs usually stem from disputes over turf, respect, or revenue from drug-related ... activities that essentially "contributes to the violence within schools- (Koch, 1998). While almost all gang members have been, or know someone who has been a victim of violent crime, the violent...

  • Word Count: 1883
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography

7. Gang Violence and Evolutionary Theory

... the decisions that certain games make that we have such a negative attitude toward gangs. Gang violence in present day has become more of a problem than it has been in the past. A definition of gang in terms of gang violence is a group of persons working together for unlawful or antisocial purposes. Gang violence can be related to evolution by looking at why people join gangs in the first ... have formed it to ensure that he or she would have the best chance of passing on their genes because they have the protection of the members of the gang. In conclusion, gang violence is an ever inc...

  • Word Count: 368
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Violence

... a neighborhood, every little detail has some sort of affect on a child. In the adolescence stage, children are most vulnerable and susceptible to gang violence and drugs. Research has shown that in neighborhoods where there is high rate of divorce, residential turnover, temporary people with no roots in the ... article "The Code of the Streets" by Elijah Anderson looked at circumstances of the inner-city poor, and both think the causes of violence are to be found in the connections among poverty, racial discrimination, and city neighborhoods. "Muggings, burglaries, car-jacking, and drug-r...

  • Word Count: 1314
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Gang Violence

... god. I guess you could say the veteran serves almost like a grand parent in a way where they are not only there for a symbolic idol for the gang but they can also be a giver of advice to the core members much as a grand parent would do for a parent. Within all these levels there are ... who takes care of all the high target killings. You also have your buyers who deal with the extremely large amount of financial income for the gang. These ones usually handle the prostitution part of the money making for the gangs. A lot of the prostitution and stealing have decreased as income and ... ...

  • Word Count: 1468
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

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