Main Aspects of Gang Activities - Coursework Example

Gang Activities Introduction A gang refers to a group of individuals who have come together in order to carry out a specific illegal activity and are internally organized in a well structured form of leadership or authority. They normally exist in large cities and other urban areas and they later spread to the suburban areas. Examples of well known gangs include Latin Kings and The Black Peace Stones in the U.S, Gooch gang and Doddington gang in Manchester, Brick Lane Massive in London. There are several reasons attributed to the formation of gangs. Poverty forms the main reason why people join gains in order to meet their basic needs (Newton, 108). Jobless youths easily get recruited into gangs due to their desire to acquire a better life without having to struggle for it or to attain high standard of living and luxurious lifestyle which is usually depicted by celebrities in the entertainment industry. Some gangs are formed by powerful figures in politics so that they can use their services to gain mileage over their opponents by causing disruptions in their campaigns and vandalizing their billboards and campaign posters. After such missions have been achieved, the politicians distance themselves rom they gangs who then resort to criminal activities for their survival. Female gang members usually join the group as they are lured by their boyfriends who are already gang members and once they get in, there is no turning back. There female members are used by the male members to fulfil their sexual desires, make a complete society, to deal with their hunger and frustrations and finally for thrill and excitement (Nace, 102). Increased worldwide demand for illegal goods and services such as drugs has also forced some people to join form or join the already existing gangs. Personal insecurity has made some people to join gangs due to fear that they will be the main target of the gang group so they choose to be part of them in order to feel secure and accepted. This is closely connected to low self-esteem issues which make youths to form a low opinion of them thus finding solace and a boost on their esteem in joining gangs. In the United States, race plays a vital role in determining the type of gangs that people join. It is worth noting that people from different races join gangs that belong to their races e.g. the blacks will join those gangs composed of their fellow blacks. Lack of traditional family units which allow children to have role models who are able to impact into their lives positively is also leading to the rise of gangs (Newton, 045). Organized gangs have been on the rise globally in recent past resulting in an increase in criminal activities such as drug peddling, loss of innocent lives, robbery with violence, abductions and kidnappings. Sociologists have attributed the rise of gangs to poor parenting which leads to children growing up without clear guidance in life in relation to how they can prepare well for their future lives. Children are left under the influence of the media through which they develop and acquire certain antisocial behaviors and way of life. In order to make a clear understanding of the nature and activities of criminal gangs in the world, this paper will take an in-depth analysis of two research outcomes that were reported on urban life articles about organized gangs in the United States and Britain. The growth of gangs in the suburban areas of the U.S and the gangs of London Gangs in the U.S trace their origin in the 1960s when they were mainly formed to advocate for political and social freedoms. In the 1970s, their focus shifted to criminal activities as they became more organized and well planned. As years went by, many gangs in urban areas began to relocate to suburban areas which they felt were much safer and easy to carry out their illegal activities and recruit more members who were readily available. The desire to generate extra profits by the leaders of the drug dealing gangs was the main motivating factor the movement to suburban areas. On the other hand in the United Kingdom, the gangs are mainly found in the major cities such as London, Glasgow and Manchester. The move to suburban areas was characterized by homicide and shootings due to clash between local gangs and those gangs originating from cities in their bid to exercise control over each other. In the 1990s, gang activities were fully entrenched in the suburban areas forced all level of national leaders to take an active role in terminating the gangs by targeting their top leaders. The most notorious gangs traced their origin from Mexico and other Central American countries that were in the United States illegally. Some gangs were organized in prison cells and propagated their illegal activities in the suburban areas through the freed members of the gang. In the suburban communities, the gangs have caused increased criminal and violent activities ranging from homicide to distribution of hard drugs. The major gangs who are linked to these activities include the Latin Kings, Bloods, Neta among others who operate nationally under well structured systems. The city of London has witnessed the emergence of 250 gangs who have led to the death of nearly 300 youths since 2007. The youth are the main target of recruitment into the gangs especially those from poor background with low level of education which is a common feature in both U.S and London. A close interview with some of the gang members reveals people who are deeply locked up in a system that some of them wish they could do away with but that would mean death. They confessed of having lost so many of their friends due to stabbing and gun shots while others were languishing in prison cells. Being in a gang is closely linked to emotional or sexual abuse in the past which took place at a tender age as well as being brought up in a violent environment. The most affected age group by gangs in London is those below the age of 20 which is not the case in the U.S. The Kids Company has been playing a n active role in trying to assist the affected children through the establishment of rehabilitation centers and holding forums that are aimed at steering efforts to develop and promote good culture among them. The company’s CEO admitted that they have been supporting close to 18,000 children who have undergone violent events throughout their lives. The gang members hardly admit that they belong to gangs but instead they prefer to use other names in order to conceal their identity. The gangs in London reasons that peer pressure is one of the main reasons why people join gangs and they are forced to perform some tasks which involving stabbing others and criminal activities. Conclusion From the two cases above, it is evident that the rise of gangs in the suburban areas and major cities such as London is a matter of great concern that requires radical measures so as to eradicate them. It is worth noting that gangs have resorted to more sophisticated weapons ranging from sharp weapons to guns which require the law enforcing agencies to develop better means of handling them. The study in London reveals a sharp drop in the age at which people are recruited into gangs with children as young as 10 years being part of major gangs. They further reveal that the activities of gang members affects many innocent youths who are not members of the gangs and some are forced to move from one place to another in search of safety or join the gangs against their wish. Some of the innocent youths are usually intimidated, robed or even killed as the gang members begin to expand their territories. Some gangs usually administer oaths to their members so that they may continue being loyal and submissive to the leadership which makes it more difficult for an individual to quit a gang (Decker, 126). The ability to help someone out of a gang is based on how one is able to correctly identify or establish that the person belongs to a gang because they will not admit openly to being linked to a particular gang due to fear of rejection from the society. Some of the general features that characterize gang members include identification with certain colours or mode of dressing and body tattoos, use of specific hand signals and nicknames to identify and communicate among themselves. Inability to feel comfortable in a social gathering is another characteristic feature of gang members and this phenomenon is often associated with drug use. The duty of controlling as well as reducing the number of gangs is not the role of the police alone but should be approached by all members of the society which include religious leaders, school administrators, parents and guardians (Barker, 307). Some community based organizations (C.B.O) have played significant roles in assisting those who are withdrawing from gangs through proper counselling and rehabilitation processes so that they can be welcomed back into the society and to feel a sense of belonging. Global organizations such as the United nations needs to come up with policies aimed at eradicating gang activities all over the world since the problem cannot be tackled by one country alone without a joint effort. Work Cited Barker, Thomas. North American Criminal Gangs: Street, Prison, Outlaw Motorcycle, and Drug Trafficking Organizations. Durham, N.C: Carolina Academic Press, 2012. Print. Decker, Scott H, and Frank M. Weerman. European Street Gangs and Troublesome Youth Groups. Lanham: AltaMira Press, 2005. Internet resource. English, T J. Born to Kill: The Rise and Fall of Americas Bloodiest Asian Gang. New York, NY: MysteriousPress.com, 1995. Internet resource. Nace, Ted. Gangs of America: The Rise of Corporate Power and the Disabling of Democracy. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler, 2005. Print. Newton, Michael. Gangs and Gang Crime. New York, NY: Chelsea House, 2008. Internet resource. Read More