Comparative Youth Gangs - Essay Example

Running Head: Comparative Youth Gangs Comparative Youth Gangs of Comparative Youth Gangs Youth gangs are a global phenomenon present in almost every country in the world. Most of these gangs are created to provide identity, power and control to its members. Gangs are a reality which citizens have to deal with in cities and towns. Gangs can be created by the social and political conditions of a country. They can be formed by peer pressure and self-indulgence. Gangs comprise of socially excluded individuals who are supported by an underground economy, usually criminal behavior. Gang members want an identity which they can zealously guard and acquire power. This paper provides a comparative study about the proliferation of youth gangs in East Timor and the United States of America. It introduces the characteristics of the gangs in both countries by pointing out the differences and similarities. East Timor obtained its independence from Indonesia after a prolonged freedom struggle, in which tens of thousands of East Timorese were killed, captured or tortured. The political turmoil of April 2006 led to the disintegration of the security forces into multiple factions and large organized street gangs. Research has found out that large numbers of young and marginalized males have joined these organizations, factions and street gangs (Scambary, 2006). Youth gangs are not a new phenomenon since they were used as instruments of repression during the Portuguese and Indonesian rule. After gaining independence, East Timor has witnessed sporadic clashes in the western highlands and Dili. A riot in March 2001 between rival gangs destroyed several houses in villages like Olobia and Boramatan (Scambary, 2006). The current conflict and nature of the violence has been focused in the market areas around Comoro and Taibesse. Sintu Kulao and Gaya Anak are two of the western gangs arrayed against two big eastern gangs, Lito Rambo and Lafaek in Becora and Comoro respectively (Scambary, 2006). Ethnicity has also played a large role in the formation of these youth gangs as a struggle between West and East Timor. Revenge has been the motive for the random violence, which has taken place. Another reason for the huge proliferation of gangs in East Timor is the land disputes, which have arisen in the aftermath of independence. A strong campaign of house burnings and intimidation against easterners has revolved around individual property disputes. Some gangs are being led by former resistance figures like Lito Rambo and Sintu Kulao (Scambary, 2006). Many gang members have infiltrated the political parties and security forces. Another type of group consists of ex-FALINTL members who feel excluded from jobs in the army and police. Some groups have affiliations with powerful individuals with political ambitions or opposition parties. Chronic unemployment in East Timor stands out at fifty percent, which means that recruiting young people for gangs is relatively easy (Scambary, 2006). Joining a gang is an attractive option for youth who are socially, economically and politically marginalized. Many of the rioting mobs are composed of these socially marginalized youth. Graffiti is used to define the area of a gang and is considered threatening towards rival gangs. Many gangs have aggressive or threatening names like ‘Beaten Black and Blue’ or ‘Provoke Me and I’ll Smash You’. Some gangs in East Timor are disaffected groups with some grievances towards the ruling party. Some of these groups draw their recruits from rural unemployed youth who are poor farmers and ex-FALINTIL. All of these groups believe that they have been marginalized and reject the current government. These gangs engage in crime, extortion and cross border smuggling. Another type of gang is the martial arts groups which have an estimated twenty thousand members registered. Research shows that there are many non registered members in the martial arts groups (Scambary, 2006). Although most of them reject the principle of violence, some of these groups have been behind communal violence. Some martial arts groups have also become politicized as they have been aligned to opposing political factions. Kakalok groups are clandestine groups which were formed under Indonesian occupation. Group members can be identified by a series of cicatrices running longitudinally up their arm or in clusters. These groups are inactive except for a few which have been involved in gambling and extortion rackets. Seven-Seven, Five-Five and Three-Three are some of these magical or mystical gangs which are present in East Timor (Scambary, 2006). Organized crime is the main activity of ethnically based gangs. Some of these gangs were involved in the East Timorese resistance movement. Sintu Kulao and Lito Rambo are some of the resistance figures who are leading these groups. These gangs are exclusively male and are reported to be behind the bulk of the recent violence. The eastern groups are confined to refugee camps from which they engage in hit and run attacks. There are many gangs like Burado in Ailok Laran and Aituri Laran in Taibese has hundreds of members and is ethnically mixed. They also have women as members. Their main activity is usually sports and conducting social services like street cleaning and helping the poor (Scambary, 2006). Some of their members have been linked to violence on an individual basis. Some groups act as community security which links them to violence. There are large youth groups which have former resistance figures. They number in the hundreds and are mixed gender. They are organized like small scale NGOs as they provide informal language and computer training courses in addition to sports competition and music. Research conducted by the United Nations has found that some of the leaders of these groups are using their status to manipulate local youth to perpetrate crime or violence (Scambary, 2006). There are small groups of young males which are found living in cities like Dili. They gather at night and drink. Many of these small groups and ethnic gangs have been blamed for the ongoing violence, intimidation and house burnings. They also live off extortion and stand over rackets. They were blamed for the burning of Chinese shops in the Bairopite area. Unemployment is blamed as the number one factor for the proliferation of gangs in East Timor. Another factor is the lack of youth representation at the village level which breeds a level of powerlessness and disenfranchisement. Most of the gangs have a total disregard for democratic institutions and resort to violence to settle disputes. The United States is an economically and militarily advanced country which also has a problem of street gangs. It is estimated that there are a three hundred thousand gangs with eight hundred thousand gang members across the United States. Hispanics comprise forty seven percent of youth gangs while blacks form thirty percent of youth gangs inside the United States (Cohen, 2006). Some street gangs inside the United States do not have an organized command structure. They are defined by streets, apartment complexes and act as individual groups. They have specialized cliques as they control trafficking of recreational drugs and manage prostitution in a given area. Some youth gangs inside the US are organized gangs which are involved in crime for personal gain. Crime is their occupation as they operate in the grey and illegal marketplace to engage in transactions which are not regulated by the law. They might be involved in crimes ranging from drug trafficking, human smuggling, piracy, money laundering, extortion, and gambling. Some of these gangs engage in complex and serious crimes which pose a threat to law enforcement and economic development projects inside the United States of America. Organized youth crime gangs are managed and operated by amateurs (Cesareti, 2005). Others have demonstrated a superior degree of market understanding and ruthlessness. These individuals are difficult to trace because they are more competent at hiding their activities. They also might have financial muscle which provides them with legal protection by using lawyers and accountants. Youth gangs inside the United States are associated with three or more members, a gang name or identity and indicated by symbols like clothing, graffiti and hand signs. They also have degree of organization and increased level of involvement in criminal activity. Most gang members are marginalized and socially isolated youths. For instance before the Columbine High School incident, the gang consisted of local rejected youths known as the Trench Coat Mafia (California District Attorney, 2006). The huge increase in youth gang activity has been attributed to the diffusion of gang culture through popular media. Economic restructuring such as deindustrialization and unemployment have contributed to the growth of gangs. Youths find gangs as an attractive option to gain a social identity. They are involved in the dealing of drugs or substances which give the youth’s money and goods which they might be able to obtain from legitimate employment or parents. Another motivation for joining gangs is the aspect of fear. Some teens would want to be part of the dominant group instead of being victimized. Youth gangs are associated with violent crimes in cities like Denver, Rochester and Seattle. Gang members are more likely to use firearms as compared with non gang members. A survey conducted by the National Youth Gang Survey found out that eighty four percent of gang members have reported the use of firearms in an assault crime (Bakeer, 2006). Gang conflicts also lead to the increased use of firearms. A study conducted by the Californian State government showed that gangs have risen dramatically since the mid 1980s till today (Alonso, 2006). Another form of youth gangs inside the United States are prison gangs which starts inside American prisons (Akers, 2005). Some gangs are created from the street while others are generated due to the conditions of penitentiaries. Some prison gangs like the Folk Nation and People Nation are organized on racial lines. The Aryan Brotherhood is a prison gang which has engaged in violence and has called for white supremacy. Four members of the gang were sentenced on charges of murder and conspiracy in July, 2006. This gang was formed in the 1960s inside federal and state prison systems (Albanese, 2002). The gang has been involved in drug trafficking, extortion, gambling and murder. Racial tension between black and Mexican gangs is common inside prisons. There have been significant race riots in Californian prisons where both groups have targeted each other. The hatred is so great that Mexican Mafia leaders have issued a green light to target all blacks (Alder, 2004). Another serious threat to the United States is the presence of youth gang members inside the US military. The inefficiency of the military recruiting screening process allows youth gang members and extremists to infiltrate the military. There are many reasons why youth gang members infiltrate the military. Some gang members receive weapons, combat and explosives training which can help them once they discharge (Anderson, 2005). Such training helps in organizing more sophisticated and deadly attacks against law enforcement officers and rival gangs. Other gang members who have infiltrated the military have been engaged in recruiting new members and selling army weapons illegally. It is clear from the above analysis of gangs in East Timor and the United States that they share many similarities and differences. The common theme which emerges from the study of youth gangs has found that the majority of foot soldiers for youth gangs come from a huge pool of young males who are socially marginalized. The security forces in East Timor have hundreds of gang members who have used their expertise for their own ulterior purposes. This is similar to the United States army which has seen a rapid rise of gang members infiltrating the military. Gang members who have received training in the US military are known to use it to organize more deadly and sophisticated crimes. Similarly in East Timor, gangs which have had military training have used their expertise to settle land disputes and engage in violent crime. One similarity between East Timorese and American gangs is that both of them have engaged in violence and criminal behavior. Drug trafficking, human trafficking, extortion, gambling, violence, theft, money laundering are some of the criminal activities in which gangs from both countries have engaged in. Another common theme which emerges is the rise of ethnically distinct gangs in East Timor and the United States. Inside East Timor, a gang war is being waged between western and eastern gangs. There have been attacks on refugee camps and houses have been burned. Mexican and black gangs inside the United States have engaged in their own conflicts in which there have been race riots and assassinations of gang members in the streets of American cities. Despite some similarities, there are many differences between youth gangs in East Timor and the United States. One of the differences is that East Timor is a newly independent state which is militarily and economically weak. Youth gangs have been used by the Portuguese and Indonesian governments as a tool of political repression. Many former resistance figures are reported to be involved in the use of gangs for political intimidation and violence. East Timor is a society which is in transition as youth gangs are an attractive option to attract young males who are socially and economically marginalized. Youth gangs in the United States are not run by senior political or military or social figures. They are mostly led by criminals who have developed sophisticated networks which make capturing them difficult. Further the United States government has the resources and technology to limit the influence of gangs. Although some youth gangs have a political or racial agenda in the United States, their actions are severely limited due to extensive surveillance conducted by the FBI and security forces. Some youth gangs in East Timor are not violent as they are engaged in social services and teaching members of marginalized communities. However individuals have been linked to violence as they justify it on the basis of defending their communities. Youth communities and clubs inside the United States do not engage in violent or criminal behavior because of the stability and relative prosperity of the country. Youth gangs are a global phenomenon which share many similar characteristics. Yet many of these gangs also have some unique differences which are the characteristics of the different societies in which they are created. Youth gangs have been considered a serious threat by international organizations as most of them have been known to engage in violent and criminal behavior. It is essential that the reasons behind the huge proliferation of gangs be studied in order to prevent this social problem. Gangs in every society pose a significant security and social threat by their behavior. Gang violence can be addressed by allowing marginalized youths to have representation in the decision making of their countries. By providing alternative social and employment opportunities for youths, the attraction of gangs will bound to decrease. Law enforcement agencies must also coordinate with their federal governments to ensure that gangs do not pose a security threat. One method of preventing the proliferation of gangs is to ensure that the military forces of countries are free from gang members. This would prevent youth gangs from using their military training and combat skills to organize more sophisticated and deadly gangs. The international community must also help nations like East Timor to make a smooth transition and to solve its social and political problems. By addressing these issues, weak nations like East Timor would have minimized the threat of youth gangs to their national security and society. References: Scambary , James (2006).A Survey of Gangs and Youth Groups in Dili, Timor-Leste. Australias Agency for International Development. Alonso, Alex, 2006, Blood Pressure Rising, The Source Magazine. Bakeer, Donald. 2006. Crips: The Story of the L.A. Street Gang. Los Angeles: Precocious. California. District Attorney. 2006.Gangs, Crime and Violence in Los Angeles: Findings and Proposals. Office of the District Attorney, County of Los Angeles, 2006. Cesareti, Gusmano 2005. Street Writers: A Guided Tour of Chicano Graffiti, Acrobat. Cohen, Albert K. 2005. Delinquent Boys: The Culture of the Gang, Free Press Akers, R.L. 2005. Deviant Behavior: A Social Learning Approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. Albanese, J.S., and Pursley, R.D. 2002. The rebirth of youth gangs. In Crime in America: Some Existing and Emerging Issues, edited by J.S. Albanese and R.D. Pursley. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Regents/Prentice Hall. Alder, P., Ovando, C., and Hocevar, D. 2004. Familiar correlates of gang membership. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences Anderson, E. 2005. Streetwise: Race, Class, and Change in an Urban Community. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. . Read More