This becomes further complex as economic ties blur between the poor and middle classes and the expectations each has about the definition of materialistic success. By belonging to a subculture, however, one can feel part of something larger, insulated a bit from the criticisms and unattainable messages of the upper middle class, and certainly a way to belong and feel important with one's own environment (Siegel and Welsh, 2009, 130-1).
Contemporary Urban Issues- in the United States, the National Gang Center estimates that there are almost 800,000 active street gang members, most concentrated in Los Angeles County and the greater Chicago area. Demographically, Hispanics account for almost 50% of gang members, African-Americans 30%, Caucasians 13%, and Asians 6% (Carlie, 2002). Unfortunately, Native American communities are also being overrun by gang violence and drug trafficking. Most tribal communities, in fact, have significant gang activity; contributing also to the continued economic downturn…...
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REFERENCES
Gangs in America. (2003). The National Center for Victims of Crime. Retreived January 2011, from NCVC.org:
Adamoli, Di Nicola, Savona and Zoffi. (1998, March). Orgqanized Crime Around the World. Retrieved January 2011, from University of Helsinki: http://www.heuni.fi/uploads/mmadzpnix.pdf
On the contrary societies treatment of certain racial and ethnic groups based on the color of skin or the language spoken also contributes greatly to the formation and proliferation of gang violence.
Conclusion
The purpose of this discussion was to explore race and ethnicity as it pertains to gangs. The research found that from a historical perspective, immigrant communities formed gangs as a reaction to living in a new world and having to confront difficulties with schooling and police brutality. The investigation indicates that in today's society certain races and ethnic groups are often to prone to engaging in gang activity because they fell disenfranchised. In addition, many of the individuals who are gang members are products of one parent homes in which the father is not present. In such cases there is very little direction and young men and women join gangs so that they can have a sense of…...
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References
Chapman, S. (August 25, 2007).A Friend Turned Killer in Gang's Gun Warfare; GUN and GANG CULTURE COMMUNITIES in FEAR the Lawless Lives of Feuding Youths Led to a Fatal Shooting outside a Liverpool Prison. Daily Post.. Page Number: 10.
S. (MS-13, 2012). More specifically, the gang's code is: "First is God, then your mother, then your gang. You live for God, you live for your mother, you die for your gang" (Lineberger & Padgett, 2011, p. 188).
Prison where gang is strongest and weakest (geographically). The State of California in general and the Los Angeles region in particular (MS-13, 2012).
ecent trends in membership. The gang's membership has swelled in recent years to the point where it has been designated as transnational criminal organization (Lineberger & Padgett, 2011). According to these analysts, "In 2008, the FBI reported that MS-13 -- 1abeled America's most dangerous gang --was operating in at least 42 states ... And ha[d] about 6,000 to 10,000 members nationwide." Currently, there are over 60,000 MS-13 members located in ten different nations, across two continents" (2011, p. 188).
Types of criminal activities that the gang is involved in within the prison…...
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References
Atkins, S.E. (2004). Encyclopedia of modern worldwide extremists and extremist groups.
Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Crews, M.D. (2012). People Nation and Folk Nation 'sets.' Florida Department of Corrections.
Timeline and Narrative of Gang Activity: 1800 -- 2000
Throughout history, humans have banded together for mutual protection and to pursue their mutual interests in ways that would not be possible individually. The historical record has shown that humans that succeeded in achieving this level of mutual protection survived while their counterparts perished, and the same processes continue today. When these collaborative efforts are used for criminal enterprises, though, they become gangs. Indeed, Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves and obin Hood of Loxley and His Merry Men were gangs by any definition, just as Jesse James and the Younger Brothers in the 19th century American West and the gangsters that emerged during Prohibition. To gain some new insights into how gangs evolved over time and what factors contributed to this process, this paper provides a timeline of gang activity from 1800 to the present day, followed by an analysis of…...
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References
Allender, D.M. (2001, December). Gangs in Middle America: Are they a threat? FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 70(2), 1-3.
Black's law dictionary. (1991). St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co.
Conway, K., McCormack, M. & Thomas, C. (2003). Gangs of New York. Social Education, 67(6), 313-315.
Craig, W.M. (2002). The road to gang membership: characteristics of male gang and nongang members from ages 10 to 14. Social Development, 11, 53-68.
Controlling Street Gang Activity in Canada
The number of street gangs in Canada has grown considerably. These gangs pose a threat to life as well as property in urban and suburban areas. The primary strategy adopted in Canada is the use of policing force to suppress the activities of street gangs. This paper discusses the policing strategy commonly used in Canada as well as other preventative and rehabilitative strategies used to control the rise of street gang activity in Canada.
Strategies Implemented in Canada
A number of programs to prevent and suppress street gang activity have been implemented in Canada. Some of these have been developed within Canada while a number of such programs are based on similar programs in the United States and have been adapted to the Canadian context. These programs have been successful in varying degrees and provide lessons for improvement. In Canada, the primary vehicle for controlling street gang…...
However, some gang members specialize in multiple criminal activities such as street robbery, human trafficking and drug trafficking.
Street Gangs
Street gangs are the major concern to parents, school administrators and the communities because they recruit students and the youths across the United States to enhance the growth of gang memberships. Street gangs are the most prevalent type of gangs in the United States because they influence a strong control in the large geographical regions. Typically, street gangs are characterized with criminal activities, which include brutality and drug trafficking. Presence of street gangs is broadened with their special relations with DTO (Drug Trafficking Organization) in Mexico, Canada, Columbia and other Central American countries. Type of street gangs includes regional-level street gangs specially known for their drug dealing. Functional regional-level street gangs include Latin Disciples, Florencia, Fresno Bulldogs, Tango Blast and United Blood Nation. Local street gangs also known as neighborhood-based gangs…...
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References
Esbensen, F., and Osgood, D.W. (1999). Gang Resistance Education and Training
(G.R.E.A.T.): Results from the national evaluation. Journal of Research in Crime
and Delinquency 36(2):194 -- 225.
Esbensen, F.A. (2000). Preventing Adolescent Gang Involvement. Youth Gang Series.
To summarize, research on gangs has shown the gang problem to be increasing dramatically. Gang members list many reasons for joining a gang, including protection, peer pressure, economic needs, social needs, power, because relatives are members, a lack of parental or community support, and social status. According to the research, gangs tend to exist in greater numbers in low-income populations, and in single-parent households. Additionally, research has shown that while there certainly are Caucasian gang members, the majority are Hispanic or African-American.
Methods
The purpose of this study was to determine why teenage males join and participate in gang activities. The independent variables were socio-economic status, peer influence, lack of family support, self-esteem, and protection. The subjects studied were from a high population area near Houston, TX, where the majority of residents were of Hispanic decent. This study examined the relationship between gang activities and the independent variables. This section summarizes the…...
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References
Arthur, R., and Erickson J. (1992). Gangs and schools. Holmes Beach, FL: Learning Publications.
Aumair, M.(1995). Characteristics of juvenile gangs. Youth Studies, 13, 40-48.
Bowker, L., and Klein, M. (1993). The etiology of female delinquency and gang membership: A test of psychological and social structure explanations. Adolescence, 8, 731-751.
Fleischer, M.(1998). Dead end kids. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.
George Knox, director of the National Gang Crime esearch Center, teaches law enforcement officers how to search WebPages to pick up on gang member's lingo, territories, and rivalries. He also asserts it is crucial for officers to learn how to "read between the lines" when searching gang members' WebPages. Time on the Web, similar to time on the streets, gives gang investigators the ability to read the hieroglyphics of wall graffiti, and understand Web clues. In addition, "gang identifiers, such as tattoos, graffiti tags, colors and clothing often are embedded in each site" (Gutierrez, 2006, ¶ 27). According to Gutierrez, by studying gang blogs for several hours, one can pick up on subtle word choices, which the gang members consider to be almost holy words. Knox contends that some gangs use the Internet to recruit new members.
Other Efforts to Deal with Gangs
Suppression techniques may be one of the best ways…...
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REFERENCES
ARISE as a gang prevention program. (2007). ARISE Foundation. Retrieved November 6, 2009
20, California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, STEP Act California 186.20 (http://www.streetgangs.com/laws/stepact.html)," as well as any community that has a disproportionate juvenile arrest rate, or a high percentage of gang related criminal activity or a high number of gang affiliated acts of violence.
The Act hopes to reduce crimes of violence committed by gang members by alerting local law enforcement to their identity thereby reducing their feelings of anonymity in committing those crimes.
The Act also supports funding for the purpose of education and offering counseling and other services to current and past gang members in the hopes they will decide to leave the gang and become a productive member of society.
CONCLUSION
The gang problem is a serious one in which the dynamics create a cycle of feeling alone, finding a "family" in the gang membership, committing acts of violence for the gang and becoming incarcerated. The legislative action that is aimed…...
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References
California 186.20, California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, STEP Act California 186.20 (Accessed 11-04-06)
gang development, research and reduction strategies as outlined by Klein and Maxson in their 2006 study Street Gang Patterns and Policies. It incorporates additional research beyond Klein and Maxson, but focuses on the basic analysis of the problem offered in their study. The specific focus of the paper is on finding solutions that work, as distinguished from the numerous failed solutions examined by Klein and Maxson -- with an emphasis on the reasons for failure given in their assessment.
Klein and Maxson's Street Gang Patterns and Policies (2006) offers a sharp critique of existing paradigms of dealing with the problem of street gangs, and in its place offers informed suggestions based on over three decades of research and observation for revising the overall approach to handling this persistent problem. The problem of street gangs is, of course, very old: one of the first-ever sociological studies, written as the discipline of…...
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References
Coughlin, BC and Venkatesh, SA. (2003). The urban street gang after 1970. Annual Review of Sociology 29. 41-64.
Howell, JC. (2010). Gang prevention: An overview of research and programs. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
Howell, JC and Egley, A. (2005). Moving risk factors into developmental theories of gang membership. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 3: 334-354.
Klein, MW and Maxson, CL. (2006). Street gang patterns and policies. New York: Oxford University Press.
Gangs and SchoolsTwo significant risk factors for adolescent gang involvement include family dysfunction and community disorganization (Hill et al., 2017). Family dysfunction can take many forms: it can appear as a lack of parental supervision, or poor or strained family relationships, or a history of familial criminal behavior. Any of these forms can push adolescents towards seeking belonging, acceptance, stability or identity in gangs. Community disorganization tends to be characterized by poverty, high crime rates, and a lack of communal institutions, It creates an environment where gangs can flourish and appear as viable social groups to vulnerable youths (Hill et al., 2017).On the other hand, two crucial protective factors are strong family bonds and involvement in pro-social activities. A supportive family environment with effective communication, emotional support, and active engagement in a child\\\'s life can significantly reduce the allure of gangs. Involvement in pro-social activities, such as sports, arts, or…...
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ReferencesHill, K. G., Howell, J. C., Hawkins, J. D., & Battin-Pearson, S. R. (2017). Childhood risk factors for adolescent gang membership: Results from the Seattle Social Development Project. In Gangs (pp. 489-511). Routledge.
After receiving such pressure, a huge scandal broke within the ranks of the LAPD based on charges of corruption and misconduct. Although the LAPD still maintains a heavy presence within these streets, they are not as vehement as seen in the case of the HAMME era.
Many of those affected by L.A. street life are actually not gang members themselves. The aftermath of gang violence has proven to be too much for many Los Angeles residents, including former gang members, to handle. Many former members are left questioning the idea that the gang life is truly a family atmosphere. Former gang members all over the United States have begun to take action as to prevent future generations from making the same mistakes, (andle, 2003). Many of these former criminals also believe that being open with children about gang violence will help open up dialogue about the negative aspects of gang…...
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References
Alonso, a. (2008). A brief history of the Los Angeles-based Crips. Retrieved April 2, 2008, from Street Gangs: http://www.streetgangs.com/crips/
Crips. (1995). What we celieve in. Nationwide Rip Ridaz. Quality Records.
Davis, Mike. (1992). City of Quartz. Vintage Books.
A participant in the study notes, "The gang members were scared to come outside, scared to hang out together.' and, 'it is still working.' He noted that graffiti and other signs of gang activity have declined dramatically. He pointed out that a wall near the park had graffiti 24/7, 365 days a year prior to the injunction, but not lately" (Maxson, et al. vii). Thus, gang injunctions control a variety of gang-related activities, but they can help control the spread of graffiti and the actions of tagging crews, keeping neighborhoods not only safer, but less unsightly for the people who live there.
eferences
Alonso, Alex. "Gang Injunctions & Civil Abatement in Los Angeles." StreetGangs.com. 2008. 11 Dec. 2008. http://www.streetgangs.com/injunctions/
Editors. "Gang Injunction." County of San Diego District Attorney. 2008. 11 Dec. 2008. http://www.sdcda.org/protecting/gi_workflow.pdf
Maxson, Cheryl L. Karen Hennigan, David Sloane, and Kathy a. Kolnick. "Can Civil Gang Injunctions Change Communities? A Community Assessment…...
S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. The legislation makes the provision of over $ billion in funding "for gang prevention, intervention and law enforcement programs over five years and establishes new crimes and tougher penalties to deter and punish members of illegal street gangs." (Feinstein, 2007) the legislation proposed by Feinstein would make illegal participation in a criminal street gang a federal crime. The legislation criminalizes violent crimes in furtherance or in aid of criminal street gangs and creates a new criminal offense for murder and other violent crimes committed in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Under the present law, "a felon's criminal street gang involvement can be treated at most as a sentencing enhancement, adding no more than 10 years to a sentence. This bill establishes far higher penalties for violent gang crimes, including the possibility of life imprisonment without parole for murder, kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, or maiming. If…...
Velasquez, N. (2007) L.A. City Attorney Delgadillo Establishes New Policy Regarding Gang Injunction Violations: New Policy Enables Check of Convicted Gang Injunction Violators' Residency Status. 5 April 2007. Online available at http://www.lacity.org/atty/index/attyindex56044369_04052007.pdf .
Risk factors are often found in clusters and their cumulative effect may lead to a greater probability that youth will become involved in crime (Garbarino, 1999). As a result then, there are not one or two factors that could cause someone to join a gang, but rather a collection of factors (Garbarino). It is possible then, by eliminating even one factor among the cluster, that programs could reduce gang involvement.
According to Esbensen (2000), many major cities have introduced gang prevention programs throughout the United States over the past 60 years. Community groups, social workers, and law enforcement personnel manage the different prevention programs in a variety of formats. he national government has also addressed the seriousness of gangs; President George W. Bush has proposed that funding be used for a three-year project to help keep youth out of gangs. First Lady Laura Bush will lead the new effort, Helping…...
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The approaches to gang prevention for youth have been developed using a wide variety of methods. Individual counseling can be used for behavior modification to decrease aggression, impulsiveness, and inflexible behaviors (Lipsey, M.W., Wilson, D.B. And Cothern, L. 2000). Family involvement using counseling and providing parental training techniques such as modeling, role-playing instruction, and story-reading have been found to be effective (Seitz and Apfel, 1994). School-based programs are offered across the country, which often follow a rigid curriculum over varying amounts of time. Community-based organizations provide a variety of programs using supervised mentors (McGill, Mihalic, and Grotpeter, 1998) and curriculum designed to teach social skills and problem solving techniques (Wong, Catalano, Hawkins, and Chappell 1996).
Utilizing incarcerated or former gang members can also provide a powerful means to reach out to youth. The Gang Violence Reduction Program of East Los Angeles draws on former gang members to influence and prevent youth gang involvement, which was also reported to be successful (National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention, 1994).
Certainly! Here are some potential essay topics related to gangs:
1. The impact of gangs on communities and neighborhoods 2. The role of social media in gang recruitment and communication 3. The relationship between poverty and gang involvement 4. The effectiveness of gang prevention programs and initiatives 5. The connection between drugs and gang activity 6. The influence of music and pop culture on gang behavior 7. The evolution of gang culture and symbols 8. The portrayal of gangs in the media and pop culture 9. The experiences of former gang members and their efforts to leave the gang lifestyle 10. The intersectionality of race, class, and gender in gang....
I. Introduction A. Overview of enforced military service and its impact on community unity and national defense B. Thesis statement: Enforced military service plays a vital role in addressing social issues and promoting unity through the development of important traits in men
II. Enforced Military Service and Community Unity A. Role of enforced military service in tackling social issues such as homelessness, gang activity, and crime B. Promotion of unity within the community through shared experiences and values C. Example of how enforced military service has positively impacted community unity in other countries
III. Enforced Military Service and National Defense A. Importance....
Enforced Military Service: Enhancing Community Unity and National Defense
I. Introduction Begin with a compelling hook and statistics highlighting the prevalence of social issues in communities. State the thesis statement: Enforced military service effectively addresses social issues while enhancing community unity and national defense by fostering discipline, commitment, and shared experiences.
II. Body Paragraph 1: Tackling Social Issues A. Homelessness: Explain how military service provides shelter, food, and structure for homeless individuals. Discuss programs that connect veterans with housing and support services after discharge. B. Gang Activity: Describe how military training and discipline break down gang hierarchies and foster respect for authority. ....
School Uniforms: Fostering Unity and Equality Among Students
School uniforms have become a common sight in educational institutions worldwide. While their implementation has garnered both support and opposition, one of the most significant benefits attributed to uniforms is their role in creating a sense of unity and equality among students.
Promoting a Sense of Belonging
One of the primary ways in which school uniforms contribute to unity is by eliminating visual distinctions based on socioeconomic status or personal style. When all students wear the same clothing, it minimizes the potential for comparisons or feelings of inferiority. This creates a common ground among students,....
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