Research Paper
Abstract
The youth is the most at-risk group in terms of gang membership nowadays. It has been found in several studies that gang involvement largely appeal to adolescents, especially those living in poor neighborhoods, estranged or alienated in schools, and in conflict with police authorities or the larger criminal justice system. Researchers reported that the youth turns to gangs to compensate for their lack of adequate and proper socialization. Large communities, or areas with sizable populations, have serious gang-related problems. This paper discusses existing empirical studies on gang formation, membership, and violence. There is a considerable dearth of studies on this area. Gangs are becoming a severe public safety and public health problem, which clearly calls for further studies to identify how to effectively prevent and reduce gang crimes and violence. This paper recommends a community-based program that is focused on the promotion of collaboration between the community, families, local agencies, the gang members themselves, and the criminal justice system.
Present-day gangs represent a widespread problem in the United States due to their involvement in major, violent crimes (e.g. homicide), illegal possession and use of firearms and other weapons, and illegal drug activities; their formation in smaller urban areas, the greater involvement of very young members and widespread beliefs about the increase in size and number of gangs. Increasing diversity within and between gangs in relation to involvement in criminal activities, organizational structure, and ethnic diversity make research on these groups complicated (Maxson, 2013). In the 1980s, the increase in gang-related problems has resulted in a growth in gang research, a growth which persists at present-- yet, there is no widely recognized theory to describe gang formation and there is no theory to describe the increasing pervasiveness of gangs. Rather, majority of gang studies have been focused on descriptive explanations of gangs and specific research areas. This paper examines current research on gang formation, membership, and violence. And then, a community-based program to prevent and reduce gang-related problems is recommended and explained.
II. Current Research on Gang Formation
The gang as a research area surfaced in the U.S. with the developing field of sociology at the advent of the 20th century. The methodical study of street gangs in Chicago by Frederick Thrasher in the late 1920s was the most important early research in this topic. This was supplemented by several major ethnographic studies of poor urban communities' social structure and attributes as well as methodical, analytical attempts to trace and describe patterns of gang formation, membership, and delinquency (Howell, 2009). Studies on gangs kept on increasing after this, booming sharply in the latter part of the 1950s and 1960s, following immediately after a series of opposing theories on the causes of deviance closely associated with the issue, and followed quickly by growing attention to gang intervention in the public policy arena.
Youth gangs are still a vigorous area of research until now, and studies on gangs have included, amongst other topics, identifying the nature and scale of the gang issue, changes in the situations or circumstances that promote gang formation, involvement, and delinquency; the effects of gangs on communities and individuals; the local and global proliferation and establishment of gangs; the nature and dynamics of gang formation, membership, activities, and crime; and, the implications of gang structure and activities (Miller, 2013). There have been several theories explaining gang formation. These theoretical explanations associated with gang formation are largely adopted from a criminological model.
Throughout adolescence, social networks and peer groups are created, all of which can favorably or unfavorably affect an adolescent's development or life course. Instead of instantly or directly joining major, delinquent, violent gangs, many young people become engaged in less violent, deviant groups, referred to as 'starter gangs'. These young people create starter gangs to familiarize or habituate themselves to the culture of large, violent gangs (Scott, 2014). Where those involved in starter gangs could participate in petty offenses or criminal activities, gang members could engage in major and violent crimes. However, researchers encounter difficulties in differentiating emerging or budding gangs from usual small cliques of offenders. A confounding aspect is that new gangs are highly unpredictable and volatile. Valdez (2007) explains that adolescence is a period of unstable peer relations and short-lived commitment or loyalty to both peers and gangs.
Irregular or periodic existence and changing membership typify numerous gangs, particularly about young members. As explained by Fleisher (2006), because participation in various peer groups is usual or prevalent in adolescence, in numerous instances, gangs must be classified more as social networks than defined or confined 'organizations'. Young people wander in and out of such organizations or groups. In a current research on middle school pupils in selected cities, Esbensen and colleagues (2009) reported that 25% of all gangs the pupils recognized had been present for roughly a year, and a mere 10% were identified to have been present for more than a decade.
The nature and mechanisms of gang formation are multifaceted, and academics and researchers have examined them from criminological, sociological, and psychological points of view. A widely-held belief is that gangs emerge from disagreements or conflicts among youth groups and struggles with the nonviolent, orderly community (Howell, 2009). In cases gangs are not formed, they could arise under severe community circumstances-- especially when young people are estranged or detached from important socializing mechanisms, particularly from family and school socializations (Maxson, 2013). The research of Howell (2009) shows that certain gangs are formed because of problematic schools that are composed of several extremely defiant and alienated students. These students were involved in almost all the violent and rebellious activities in the selected schools that were examined. In the most problematic schools, numerous students were violent gang members.
In this theoretical explanation, young people create gangs once they feel alienated or ostracized from school for punitive purposes because schools are an institution that offer social networks, education, and support for young people. This alienation could contribute to the reinforcement of the group and eventually result in gang formation. Per Scott (2014), to become a violent, criminal gang, young members should devote themselves to a criminal mindset, or eagerness to exercise aggression and violence. And then, the group should adopt or internalize a criminal mindset as a gang that is different or estranged from other people or organizations within the community. Such groupings could be strengthened by disagreement with school officials and law enforcers.
In numerous major cities in the U.S., large gangs have been formed and functioning for many years. In such situations, one could expect and still find it hard to discourage a young person from becoming a gang member. For example, as explained by Vigil (2008), the Chicano gangs in the U.S. that emerged in the beginning of the 20th century were comprised of disadvantaged, marginalized, and second-generation children of severely impoverished, Mexican American migrants who experienced difficulties adjusting to American society and culture. Young people readily and spontaneously sought membership in gangs found in their neighborhoods or communities. After roughly five decades of stable existence in certain communities, the Chicano gangs in several U.S. cities, like Los Angeles, have been formally established (Vigil, 2008).
As stated by Howell (2009), “Fear of crime and gangs was an 'immediate,' daily experience for people who lived in lower-income neighborhoods where gangs were more prevalent and dangerous. But for people in other areas, fear was generally an abstract concern about the future that became immediate only when they entered certain pockets of the county” (p. 128). In several major cities, drug gangs and youth gangs have dominated several public-housing development programs. If youth gangs have a considerable 'presence', they are associated with severe delinquency issues in U.S. schools, especially at the elementary and secondary levels. A direct correlation has been found between school gangs and the accessibility of drugs and weapons in schools (Scott, 2014). The existence of school gangs further contributes to the probability of violent and criminal activities at schools.
In scantily populated communities, or areas with less than 50,000 residents, gangs are smaller or fewer in numbers. In these communities, the problems with youth gangs could subside as fast as they emerge. This is particularly observable in smaller communities and in rural neighborhoods. On the contrary, in suburban areas and cities with populations of more than 50,000, problems with gangs are more challenging (Miller et al., 2013; Howell, 2009). Simply put, “the impact of gangs is notably worse in the more densely populated areas” (Miller et al., 2013, 390). These highly populous communities are at the highest risk of serious and violent gang activities, and residents become extremely frightened for their families and themselves, and businesses, schools, and other important institutions are victimized by violent crimes.
The presence of youth gangs affects the wellbeing and health of the person, as well as that of his/her family, friends, other significant others, and community. Moreover, communities with a major gang presence are immensely affected by homicide, illicit drug trading, gun violence, vandalism, adverse economic outcomes, and theft (Miller, 2013; Dalmas, 2014). These youth gangs also affect the larger society, costing federal, state, and local governments a huge amount of resources in rehabilitation, detainment, and prevention programs (Maxson, 2013). Gang violence has long been viewed and treated as public safety problem, but it should also be viewed and treated as a public health issue.
Gang crimes and gang wars lead to many fatalities annually, including permanent disabilities and injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported that young gang members are also largely engaged in harmful health-related behaviors like risky sexual activities and substance abuse (Dalmas, 2014). Nonetheless, the gang members are not the only ones who experience and endure the health impact. Families are severely affected as an outcome of the serious crimes. In addition, as reported by the CDC, residents in communities with prevalent gang activities experience mental health disorders and chronic stress (Dalmas, 2014) that can result in chronic illnesses.
III. Summation and Recommendations
As discussed above, adolescents are the most at-risk of gang membership. Poverty, alienation, and ostracism are some of the major factors that push the youth toward gang involvement. Large communities have more severe gang problems than smaller communities, and gangs in highly populous areas are larger than those in less populous ones. Youth gangs are serious public safety (e.g. crime-related behaviors) and public health problems (risky health behaviors and mental health problems), affecting not just the individual, but families and communities. Huge national street gangs create the biggest threat throughout the U.S. Street gangs can be found all over the country, and their membership differs in terms of structure, ethnic and racial composition, and size (Miller, 2013). As stated by Scott (2014), they are extremely dangerous because they distribute, transport, manufacture, and smuggle massive volumes of illegal drugs all over the U.S. and are highly violent, rebellious, and aggressive.
Researchers were widely familiar with efforts by traditional institutions, particularly the criminal justice system, to resolve the street gang issue. There was extensive evidence to indicate that aiming at or focusing on individual gang members as intervention recipients had failed thus far. Even police response has not been effective so far (Howell, 2009). The differences in definitions and perspectives of current gang problems, alongside the extensively differing features of gangs, pose a huge problem to communities that are making efforts in preventing and alleviating gang-related issues. How a community perceives or identifies gangs is a crucial aspect of its general policies and programs, determining the amount and forms of resources used. The successful (or unsuccessful) outcome of community-based programs against gang violence is likely to depend partly on the agreement made by the community regarding its gang problem and the most effective strategies to resolve it.
Therefore, this paper recommends a community-based program with three desired outcomes: (1) development of informal and formal social control mechanisms, such as close monitoring, supervision, and mentoring of youth gang members by community-based organizations like NGOs and schools, as well as by juvenile justice agencies; (2) full involvement of youth-oriented agencies, the police, faith-based groups, NGOs, and schools in efforts to 'reach out' to youth gang members and their families, and fully informing them and reintegrating them into the mainstream society and important social services; and, (3) full involvement of local residents, as well as previous youth gang members, criminal justice agencies, and community organizations.
Community members, police authorities, educators, and families can contribute significantly to the prevention of gang formation and involvement or reduction or mitigation of current gang-related problems. Community members and families can work in unison to effectively prevent and eliminate gang-related problems. They can contribute to the formation of a community-based task group with representatives from different sectors (schools, city government, juvenile justice system). The objective of a community-based task group can involve awareness-raising programs, effective dissemination of information, and inter-community collaboration in identifying gang problems, preventing gang formation and violence, and formulating or consolidating prevention and intervention policies.
Besides the prevention and reduction of gang violence, the objective of this community-based program is to identify the important strategies, procedures, and practices to build and promote a community environment that encourages prevention and reduction of youth gang formations and activities. Thus, this community-based program should focus on two objectives-- to gain knowledge of the major components for successful outcomes, and to prevent youth gang violence, crime, and delinquency. The success of the program is measured through process evaluation. Four components are explored in this process-- potential outcomes, barriers to program success, obstacles to implementation, and the program's strengths and weaknesses.
IV. Conclusions
Nowadays, gangs attract the youth from all ethnic and racial affiliations and socioeconomic classes. Gangs are a predicament for both the community and the criminal justice system. Being a member of a gang seriously damages the life and future of young people. Gang members usually interact or communicate exclusively with other members of the gang, solidifying their confined or bounded perspective of life, their society, and the world. They often create an enduring or permanent pattern of engagement or relationship with the criminal justice system. These youth gang members may perpetrate major crimes, such as homicides, that end up with long imprisonment. They are at-risk of lifelong disability or injuries or, worse, death.
Moreover, their membership to a gang could put their whole family in danger. Gang members who reach adulthood at times become abusive drug users and alcoholics. To obstruct the damages of criminal activities, violence, and aggression brought about by gangs, and damages to the lives and future by numerous youths, there must be cooperation between the community, families, schools, and the criminal justice system.
IV. References
Dalmas, K. (2014). How gangs impact communities' health. Retrieved from http://www.centerforhealthjournalism.org/2014/02/19/how-gangs-impact-communities- health.
Esbensen, F.A. et al. (2009). Similarities and differences in risk factors for violent offending and gang membership. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 42, 1-26.
Fleisher, M. (2006). Youth gang social dynamics and social network analysis: applying degree centrality measures to assess the nature of gang boundaries. In Studying Youth Gangs, edited by J.F. Short and L.A. Hughes. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press, pp. 86-99.
Howell, J. (2009). Preventing and reducing juvenile delinquency: a comprehensive framework. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Maxson, C. (2013). The modern gang reader. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Miller, L. et al. (2013). Community policing: partnerships for problem solving. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Scott, D. (2014). Attitude is everything: youth attitudes, gang involvement, and length of institutional gang membership. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 17(6), 780-798.
Valdez, A. (2007). Mexican American girls and gang violence: beyond risk. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Vigil, J.D. (2008). Mexican migrants in gangs: a second-generation history. In Street Gangs, Migration, and Ethnicity, edited by F. Van Gemert, D. Peterson, and I.L. Lien. Portland, OR: Willan Publishing, p. 62.
