Youthful Gangs in the UK - Assignment Example

? Development psychology Adolescents face numerous social problems including teen pregnancy, drug abuse and gang involvement. One of the problem behaviors that are common among many adolescents in the United States is gang involvement. Gangs are characterized by involvement in criminal and violent activities like drug trafficking and murder. Infidelity, financial problems and alcohol abuse are some causes of marriage divorce. Midlife crisis is experienced by middle aged adults while depression is a leading cause of suicide among retired citizens. Development psychology Introduction According to available statistics, 14 percent of adolescents have joined gangs and are responsible for about 89 percent of the violent crimes. Some of the risk factors for gang involvement include family factors, community factors, school and peer group influences. Overreliance on anti-social peers and poor parenting experience such as broken families will encourage adolescents join gangs since they need social inclusion. The history of adolescent involvement in gangs can be traced back to the industrial revolution and major migration activities in major cities that shifted the population composition (Focus Adolescent services, 2012). Youthful gangs flourished in cities of Los Angeles and Chicago in 1960s. Each gang has unique symbols and mainly engages in criminal activities such as drug smuggling, violent robbery, extortion and rape (Focus Adolescent services, 2012). The need for recognition, association and belonging especially adolescents who have a poor educational attainment is also a major risk factor. Gang members usually feel neglected due to lack of enough family and community support. Low attachment to schools and learning difficulties make many adolescents drop out of school thus joining gangs in the streets. Negative peer groups are also a major risk factor to adolescent gang involvement. High commitment to delinquent and street socialization exposes the adolescents to violence and drug abuse thus leading to participation in gang activities (Focus Adolescent services, 2012). Labeling and victimization of adolescents creates undue stress which leads adolescents to join gangs in order to conform to the labeling. For instance, members of certain racial groups are more likely to join gangs due to race stereotyping and undue victimizations in serious crimes (Focus Adolescent services, 2012). Some of the preventive measures to adolescents include provision of family and community support through proper parenting, strong education and training, avoidance of negative peer pressure and desisting from illegal activities such as drug abuse. Developing self-esteem and participating in recreational activities will also relieve stress which is a risk factor to gang involvement (Focus Adolescent services, 2012). Question two There are different views on love and marriage. For instance, there are differing views on the causes of high divorce rates in many marriages. Some people claim that lack of love in marriage is the leading cause of divorce (Carroll, 2010). For instance, I asked three people on the cause of high divorce rates and each person gave a differing opinion from the others. The first person claims that differing expectations and priorities is the leading cause of divorce among the married couples (Carroll, 2010). He asserted that many married couples have failed in harmonizing and compromising their priorities which is the cause of conflicts in marriage. The first person also claimed that drug addiction and excessive use of alcohol was also another cause of lack of love and divorce among married couples (Carroll, 2010). He asserts that drug abuse creates a negative self-esteem of the couples that leading to emotional scars and disrespect in the society (Carroll, 2010). The second respondent had different views on the lack of love and causes of high divorce rates in married couples. He asserted that child-bearing issues and sharing of family responsibilities was the cause of high divorce rates. He claimed that children strengthen the bond between the married couples while sharing responsibilities such as family chores helps unity the marriage bond (Carroll, 2010). According to the second respondent, religious and cultural differences also contribute to high divorce rates. The third respondent had totally different views since he claimed that financial factors such as sharing finances and unequal participation in making major family economic decisions such as purchasing property was a contributor of conflicts in marriages. He also claimed that infidelity and sexual incompatibility leads to breakdown in communication among the spouses thus ultimately leading to divorce (Carroll, 2010). There are several explanations for the above differences. Lack of love in marriage and divorce can be caused by several factors that create conflicts in the family. For instance, financial stress, infidelity and drug abuse can be contributors to divorce depending on the economic status and culture of the spouses (Carroll, 2010). Question three Midlife crisis can be defined a time of reevaluation of the beliefs and values. It occurs in response to mortality as middle adults realize that they have not achieved their goals and aspirations in life (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). Midlife crisis occurs to about 15 percent of all middle aged adults from the ages of 40 years to 55 years. Some common characteristics of individuals undergoing midlife crisis include a deep sense of remorse, alcohol abuse, and depression due to unaccomplished goals (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). Midlife crisis has no definite cause but is triggered by several factors which include unemployment, death of parents, extramarital affairs or tragedies in life. Midlife crisis is a normal maturing process whereby middle aged adults experience discontent with their lives or feelings of becoming adventurous (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). Some phases of midlife crisis include accommodation of other people’s expectations which is soon followed by separation. The other phases include uncertainty on one’s own life which is followed by individualism (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). Midlife crisis happens when middle aged adults realize their most productivity youthful years have gone or when they perceive a failure in career objectives or relationships or even parenting. Men will reassert their masculinity characteristics by engaging in more youthful behaviors like excessive alcohol consumption or finding a younger spouse. Some men experience a decline in sexual desires while women will engage in femininity behaviors such as having cosmetic surgeries in order to avoid isolation and inferiority perception (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). According to Erik Erikson’s eight steps of psychosocial development, middle adulthood stage which occurs between 35 to 55 years is an ego development outcome stage whereby individual experience either generativity or stagnation in life. If an individual experiences personal accomplishments, he will be more committed to family, friends and community (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). On the other hand, unsuccessful outcomes such as failed career objectives, or broken families will lead to stagnation and self-absorption whereby the individual undergoes midlife crisis by struggling to accomplish undefined goals or finding new meaningful relationships (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010). Question four The number of people living pat their retirement age is growing. One of the issues affecting older adulthood people is chronic mental disorders such as stress and depression (Sigelman & Rider, 2012). This is an important issue since it is the leading cause of many suicide deaths among older adults in the United States. It is believed that 70 percent of the aged adults above the age of 60 years experience depression due to changes in their physical and cognitive functioning. Depression increases the risks of committing suicide and induces sleep disorders such as insomnia (Sigelman & Rider, 2012). Some risks factors for aged adults like fear of death, social isolation, loss of loved one and chronic diseases such as heart attack increase the chances of suffering from chronic depression (Sigelman & Rider, 2012). Some symptoms and signs of depression include fatigue, suicidal thoughts, loss of appetite, feelings of guilt and irritability. Some aged adults experience sad feelings, pain and digestive problems, decline in concentration and lack of sleep (Sigelman & Rider, 2012). Some treatment and prevention mechanisms include improving the socioeconomic status of the aged adults, engagement in social activities and spiritual involvement. Some treatments of depression include behavioral and cognitive therapies that help in reliving the suicidal attitudes. Training the aged adults on problem solving skills and cognitive restructuring will help them reduce the negative thoughts on previous stressful events and cope with stress (Sigelman & Rider, 2012). Depression also increases the likelihood of death if the aged adult is suffering from other illness such as heart attack or cancer (Sigelman & Rider, 2012). References: Carroll, J.L. (2010). Sexuality now: embracing diversity. Belmont. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Focus Adolescent services. Gangs, awareness, prevention and intervention. Accessed on 20th September 2012 from http://www.focusas.com/Gangs.html. Kail, R & Cavanaugh, J. (2010). Human development: a life-span view. Belmont. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Sigelman, C & Rider, E.A. (2012). Life-span human development. Belmont. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Read More