gang life

Teenage gangs are becoming more of a problem lately for adolescents, communities and families. According to a survey conducted in 2006 by the National Youth Gang Survey estimated that there are about 26,500 youth gangs in the United States. There are an estimated of about 785,000 members total. People involved in gangs are usually “responsible for a large share of the violent crimes committed by teens in large urban areas” (Melissa Klein, 2009). Current Health 2 and in Seattle Washington, gang members were responsible for “85 percent of the robberies committed by teens in 1998” (Melissa Klein, 2009). Image is from flickr.com/photos/olifhar/690621013/. The most severe gang activity is usually evident in larger cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. However, other gangs can also near or in suburbs and small towns, according to James C. Howell, who senior research associate at the National Youth Gang Center.

Here is a table which explains how the rate of gangs is shown from 2002 to 2006:

Table Percentage of Law Enforcement Agencies Reporting Gang Problems, 2002–2006.

A gang has many different definitions it can be a group of people who share a common interest or lead to criminal activity. A common definition of a gang “is a group of three or more individuals who engage in criminal activity and identify themselves with a common name or sign”. A gang is not just a social group of people getting together to hang out. According to Arthur Lurigio, professor of psychology and criminal justice at Loyola University Chicago says that gangs are "If there's no criminal activity, then you are not a gang…. A social group is not a gang”. Arthur Lurigio than says that people involved in gangs are “barely teenagers, while others are your parents' age… The level of involvement in the gang may also vary from hard-core members to wannabe gangsters”.

What makes teens want to become involved in gangs is it might lead to a sense of belonging or family. The attractive appeal for teens is the promise of a sense of belonging that they might not have at home or at school and "the gang becomes the parent for many kids… it becomes the school, the church”, according to Carl Taylor who is a professor of sociology at Michigan State University. Carl Taylor also describes gangs as having a appeal to them for the ones that don’t fit in. Also family members may join to be around older family members. According to Arthur Lurigio Gangs give” teens increased avenues to become involved in criminal activity... "If you are in a gang, you are more likely to be committing every type of crime… You are more likely to carry a weapon; you are more likely to drop out of school”.

Another reason teens may join gangs is because of the “mistaken belief that membership will protect them” (Melissa Klein, 2009). However people involved in gangs are more likely to be involved in crimes than people not in gangs and gang membership extend to the entire community, with some neighborhoods terrorized by drug dealing or robberies. One of the reasons for the gang appeal experts say that the “glamorization of gang life in music videos, video games, and movies fuels the desire to belong to one or just dress and act like a "G" or gangster” (Melissa Klein, 2009). However gang life is not like the TV or music it is often very different than people who join previously thought “Several studies have found that most people who join gangs drop out within a year because the experience is not what they thought it would be... Short-term members typically can leave gangs without consequences, although sometimes they are "beaten out" by other members” (Melissa Klein, 2009).