Gang & gang behavior - week 7 - Essay Example

Gang & gang behavior - week 7 Gang & gang behavior - week 7 Why Do Gang Problems Become Increasingly More Serious In Some Cities AndNot In Others?
Gang problems have become increasingly serious in large cities than in small cities (Howell, 2012). As large cities expand, the level of poverty experienced in poor and inner city areas create conditions conducive for the proliferation of gangs. Additionally, large cities provide gang members a better opportunity to migrate to other areas in case their activities are uncovered in one region. Gang problems become increasingly more serious in large cities than in small cities since population growth in the cities is usually high leading to high number of school dropouts and increased poverty that motivate people to join gangs and commit crime for survival. Research has shown that the larger the population, the higher the chance of more gangs existing in a place hence making large cities to have increasing problems of gangs due to the high rate of population growth (Howell, 2012).
Additionally, the rate of family breakdown in large cities is higher than in small cities or the rural areas (Howell, 2012). This makes neighborhoods in large cities to be more socially disorganized than neighborhoods in small cities. The disorganized neighborhoods provide a good breeding ground for the emergence of gangs since they weaken community organizations that may form partnerships with law enforcement organs to prevent people from joining gangs.
Additionally, large cities are bound to have more troubled neighborhoods than small cities hence creating an environment where gangs thrive since troubled neighborhoods become an obstacle for the police to identify and dismantle gangs (Howell, 2012). This makes it easy for gangs to spring up in these areas more than they can in small cities hence creating more gang problems in large cities.
Additionally, the availability of illegal guns in large cities compared to small cities is anther explanation for increasing problems of gangs in large cities than in small cities. Research has shown that an availability of illegal guns makes most cities to be prone to increased gangs since guns make gangs to feel a sense of protection and becomes a motivation for the gangs to cause more problems that are serious.
References
Howell, C., J. (2012).Gangs in Americas Communities. New York: SAGE publications Read More