Explain why race/ethnicity is so important in gang life.
Holmes, Tewksbury & Higgins (2011) postulates that the roles of race and ethnicity in gang life are rising to become more sophisticated. For example, more gangs are increasing multiracial and this affects the function of race and ethnicity based on conflicts between the gangs. Different scholars assess that race and ethnicity should affect gang membership prevention tactics. However, there is little proof to examine the linkage between these two variables. The gang motivation prevention techniques should cover factors that are based on racial and ethnic boundaries such as poverty and immigration, social isolation and discrimination, reduced educational opportunities and less parental guidance.
How has gang homicide changed in recent years, especially in regards to frequency and characteristics of who is involved and how killings occur?
Holmes, Tewksbury & Higgins (2011) views that some homicides are perpetrated by gang members and are responsible for less proportion of all homicides and this has changed significantly in the recent years. The homicides in the contemporary America involves a gun rather than the traditionally blunt weapons such as knives. Moreover, homicides are carried out by highly trained professionals. In the homicides incidents, the parties involved are one victim and one perpetrator. Often, the homicide perpetrator is male and slightly older than the victim and is probably a white person. The victims of these incidents are mainly women who have separated.
What types of community organizations do police typically partner with in an attempt to combat gangs? Why do they partner with these organizations?
The different types of community organizations that the police can liaise with include non-profit, non-governmental, volunteering, community-based organizations and not-for-profit organizations. The police should collaborate with these organizations because they are closely involved with the communities in the crimes neighborhoods.
What are the characteristics of someone who would join a gang?
Holmes, Tewksbury & Higgins (2011) narrates that an individual is bound to join a criminal organization is his or her living environment is associated with social disorganization. For example, if a person lives in a neighborhood linked with prevalent criminal activities. Moreover, an individual that faces the financial crisis is likely to join am the criminal gang to be able to relieve himself from such situations. Criminal activities such as human and drug trafficking are so lucratively if successful. Furthermore, an individual is probably to join a criminal activity because of entertainment purposes. A gang member enjoys certain privileges and this allows them to get women to ease this providing entertainment. Moreover, an individual is likely to join a criminal group to safeguard one’s life. For instance, the gangs offer a perfect protection from school stakeholders enabling the gang member to be away from school.
Who are the members of the “Big Four” gangs? Why only these gangs?
Holmes, Tewksbury & Higgins (2011) claims that the members of the “Big Four” gangs are the Hells Angels Motorcycle Clubs (MC), the Bandidos MC, the Outlaws MC and the Pagans MC. These major categories of criminal gangs are associated with criminal activities and conflicts among each other. Moreover, the most common form of organized crime among these groups is drugs and weapon trafficking. These gangs possess the gang structure convenient to be grouped a major gang group. For instance, all the four criminal gangs comprise of a president, treasurer, deputy president, secretary, road captain and sergeant at arms.
Why do you believe the motorcycle gangs moved from social clubs to gangs of crime?
There are several arguments that strive to elucidate why the Motorcycle Clubs (MCs) shifted in murder, drug trafficking, prostitution and kidnapping activities. Holmes, Tewksbury & Higgins (2011) describes that the World War II incidents contributed to these social clubs participating in criminal activities. Although these MCs triumphed in the Korean and Vietnam wars, they were received by enchanted groups upon coming home. When these social clubs discovered the presence of the same ilk, they involved themselves in the quest of self-interest and solution of general concerns. Some of these interests were based on drugs, alcohol abuse and other forms of crimes such as murder.
References
Holmes, R. M., Tewksbury, R., & Higgins, G. (2011). Introduction to gangs in America. CRC Press.
