The Reasons for Gang and Gun Crime in the UK - Coursework Example

Gang and Gun Crime in UK Introduction Criminology researchers maintain that poverty, inequality, and other disadvantages lead to negative social outcomes like organised crime and violence. However, sociologists are deeply at odds regarding the actual causes of increasing ‘gang and gun crimes’ in the modern society. Many of them believe that crime is attributed to various socio-economic, genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. People who argue that poverty causes crime suggest that crime for basic necessities is highly prevalent among impoverished. However, all converge at the point that policy formulation is essential to combat the rampant increase of gang crime among the youth. This paper tends to analyse the factors associated with this issue and the recent developments initiated by the UK government toward the effective control of the gang and gun crime. Gang and gun violence in UK Reports indicate that gang crime rate in UK is going to achieve the level of USA (Smith, 2010). Due to the increased level of gang crime and violence among adolescents, the UK society has failed to utilise its youngsters’ abilities for productive purposes. For instance, youngsters who are influenced by the gang activities do not pay adequate attention to their academic studies. According to a recent Metropolitan Police report, “there were 171 gangs in London with a quarter involved in murders and half involved in serious assaults.” (ibid). The report also says that 80% of the gang members involve in gun or knife crimes. Obviously the alarming increase in gang crime would spoil the cultural image of the nation before the global community. Alcoholism and drug addiction Although there is no universal agreement on the legal age of alcohol consumption, the modern UK youngsters tend to take alcohol from their early adolescence. According to the survey results of British Office of Population Census and Surveys, among 13 year old students 79% individuals consume alcohol whereas 29% of them drink once a week (Farrell, 1988). Although majority of young generation maintain the habit of drinking while they get together, the level of alcohol consumption varies from person to person. Studies have proven that young males consume more alcohol as compared to young females. Although doctors have suggested a little quantity of alcohol against coronary heart disease, youngsters do not consider the term ‘little quantity’. It is seen that most of the youngsters in UK tend to take alcohol when they engage in gang activities. The over consumption of alcohol would cause a variety of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic pancreatitis, alcoholic liver diseases, and cancer. Alcoholism is the root cause for majority of social crimes since it leads individuals to a stupor state. A younger generation without having thinking power cannot contribute to the prosperity of its nation. When a gang becomes alcoholic, the loss suffered by the country would be much higher. Researches point out that alcoholism is the main motivation for the assaults and murders among gangsters. In recent days, drug consumption among the UK gangsters has also increased as a result of increased drug availability. Hashish which has a hallucinogenic effect on brain is commonly used by UK gangsters. The increased influence of alcohol and drugs has intensified sexual crimes also among the UK youngsters. Gun and knife crimes The multiplicative growth of gun and knife crime rates among the youngsters in UK indicates the horrible rooting of violence in the country. As per the BBC news reports, nine young people died in shootings during the year 2007. There were 59 firearms related homicides in UK during the period of 2006-07 whereas it was only 49 in the previous year. It clearly indicates a fast increase of gun crime rates by 18% within one year. It is also important to note that there were 507 serious injuries caused by fire arms in this year, which scores more than one incident per day (Casciani, 2008). However, the data shows that the year by year change in the gun related crime rates is satisfactory for England. It is noted that the trend of illegal use of firearms in UK varies from region to region. The illustration given below would give more information on gun related crimes. Gun related crimes in UK between 2000/01 and 2006/07 (Source: Casciani, 2008, BBC News) The number of offences is given in thousands and it does not include the cases of air weapons. The gun related crime rates were only 7,600 in the in 2000/01 but it rose to 10,000 in the subsequent year and it indicates a rise of 2,400 within a period of just one year. The data reflects almost stable trend from 2001/02 to 2005/06 in which highest rate is recorded in 2005/06 as 11,100. The number of offenses largely declined to 9,500 in 2006/07 from 11,100 in 2005/06. The overall summary precisely illustrates that UK could minimize gun related crime rates during the last years. However, as per the same report, the use of knives is four times more than that of firearms in England and Wales; and it constitutes the major cause of number of murders in UK. According to the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King’s College London, 22,000 to 57,900 young people are expected to have included in knife crimes in 2004 (ibid). The considerable increase in ‘gun and knife crimes’ in UK indicates the paucity of effective government regulations and law enforcement. The reports say that gang activities and alcoholism are the main causes of increased sexual crimes in UK. Women also involve in gang deals and most of them like to take alcohol. In a report, London Evening Standard points that clubs and vice units has saved 518 women from sexual abuse since 2005 (Devenport 2009). The gang support and alcohol are the major driving forces for youngsters to engage in sexual crimes. The majority youngsters misuse the feasibility of telecommunication technologies and infinite possibilities of internet for gang activities. Organised crime gangs have moved towards internet with intent to maximise their earnings; and the deficiency of skilled professionals has impeded the control of cyber criminals. Why do young people join gangs? Youngsters’ strong desire for recognition is considered as the main reason for their joining gangs. The ‘desire to be known’ would encourage them go beyond the legal or ethical limits. It is observed that youngsters with poor family backgrounds have a greater tendency to involve in gang activities. Youngsters are more likely to take risks because many of them consider it as the best way to determine their social identity. This risk taking mentality could be attributed to their age and the increased influence of friends. Youngsters get a feeling of being part of a group when they attain a membership in a gang (Gangs and gang crimes: the facts). The impacts of visual media like television and internet have opened up new arena for gang crime among youth. Many adolescents choose crime as their best alternative to meet their fiscal requirements. The researches in UK reveal that majority of crimes are money oriented and the convicts are often teenagers or youth. In addition, the youngsters experience a sense of protection while they involve in gang activities; and these help them gain respect by intimidating the public. Another argument suggests that crime is attributed to certain social policies and inadequate governmental strategies. According to Bois (2007), any change in social conditions is bound to affect poor and unfortunate more than the rich and prosperous. If then, as Rose (2006, p 117) suggests, the criminal justice system and the rehabilitation strategies of prisoners are to be reconsidered because people already in criminal justice system experience high levels of poverty. At an extreme level of poverty, rehabilitation becomes a difficult task. Therefore, in order to assist their escape from poverty and crime, government has to prevent socio economic exclusion of unemployed people (ibid). According to the proponents of this view improved wealth distribution and better socio economic policies are the remedy to reduce gang crime among youth. The conservative camp opines that certain crimes such as street crime, violent crime, and child abuse are more among the poor. Yet, according to them, crime is a rational choice. Classical economists like Becaria (1764) and Bentham (1789) are of the opinion that commit or not to commit crime is a rational choice of an individual (Cited in Levinson, 2002). To them both poverty and crime are the negative outcomes of individual choice. The proponents of this view argue that crime is also prevalent among higher income areas as it is among poverty areas. The difference might be only in its severity and nature. For example, the crimes such as smuggling, drug mafia, property crimes, corruption, homicides etc. are often reported against higher income groups. "If poverty were a major provocation to delinquency, one would expect delinquency rates to go up in times of unemployment and depression and down in times of prosperity. In fact the opposite is true." (Braithwaite, 1979, p. 220). Regulations and Governmental strategies In order to control the adolescent gang crime the British government has initiated several regulations and law enforcement strategies. The government gives emphasis on prevention and diversion policies with intent to influence juvenile delinquents so that a person’s behaviour can be reshaped at an early stage rather than using punitive actions at later stages. The main governmental strategies toward the prevention of gang crimes in UK are described below. Policing Policing is the most powerful tactic used by UK government in order to bring gang violence under control. The local police forces of UK are responsible for gun licensing and proper monitoring of gun use. In order to control the gun crimes among gangs, the UK police collaborate with other departments like Customs and Excise, Immigration Services and Security Services (Wakefield & Fleming, 2009, p.129). The UK Police gives its genuine concern on the prevention of gun misuse among teenagers and gangsters as gun law violations have become an order of the day. Governmental policies basically aim at empowering the police forces. For instance, the UK police forces deploy ultra modern scanning technologies in public sensitive areas and other places of interest. In addition, the police departments have been equipped with more vehicles and weapons; and technology like closed circuit cameras help police to observe and control gang activities. The police departments have developed consultation and workshop programmes for youngsters in association with public agencies and community organizations. Above all, the ‘fear of punishment’ is the major tactic that law enforcement agencies have been using against gangsters for the last few years. Now a day, the UK government gives more emphasis on gang research in order to identify the psychological and sociological factors behind gang violence. According to Golding and McClory (2008), gang members involve in gun and knife crimes more likely than non-members. It has persuaded the UK government to exercise strict control over gang activities (ibid). As the UK government has realized that high penalties for gang violence will not give the desired result, they shifted the prevention programmes to family, school and institution levels. The UK’s view on gang regulation has changed during the last decade such that they aim to promote a healthy environment within the nation rather than punishing for the crime. Intervention policies and programmes It includes the policies and programmes framed by the government with intent to interact with adolescents who are likely to fall in criminal activities. As mentioned earlier, the crime records show that children from unsatisfactory family backgrounds are more vulnerable to illegal gang activities. Therefore, the intervention programmes from primary school levels would positively influence their behavioural pattern. According to France et al (2003), intervention policies and programmes such as ‘On Track Program’ ‘aim at the reduction of problem behaviour and future crime’ (cited in Armstrong, 2006, p.266). Under these policies, the youngsters at great risk of antisocial activities are focused with immediate ‘individual intervention’ treatment. In addition, there are many general intervention programmes functioned at the community levels. 1. Early identification and prevention An effective intervention is possible if and only the risk factors of a child are identified. The identification phase covers the ongoing school level monitoring and student observation. A child in adolescence needs more care, which in fact is the major objective and characteristic of these programmes. 2. The youth friendly policies Adolescents may have varying creative concepts they wish to implement in the society. Youngsters who are deprived of these opportunities would seek alternatives to exercise their creativity but presumably fall in crime. Psychological studies have proven that youngsters have a negative attitude in their relationship with adults (Cockburn, 2008 p.82). The governmental agencies try to preserve the adolescents’ creativity through different community based outreach. Similarly, youngsters from high crime areas and ethnic minorities are counted as high risk group since they have an increased chance of falling in gang and gun crimes. Youth friendly policies are mainly based on preventive aspects with the concept that youngster once involved in gang crime can hardly be brought back to the normal life. Also, as Armstrong (2006) reminds, the real story regarding the youth crime is reversal of common beliefs; and compared with the adult population, young people are rather victims than perpetuators of crime’. However, as the other side of the above mentioned intervention policies, the legal provisions go with more strict strategies to reduce the intensity of gun and knife crimes across the nation. According to the legal provisions in UK, an individual needs license to own a gun; and there are tight restrictions on the license issue. Similarly, an individual under the age 18 in UK cannot buy a knife as it is legally prohibited (Need to Know the Law). As Stephen (2009) reports, recently the predominant political opinion tends to construct young gangsters as ‘actual or possible offenders’ regardless of their age or other proprieties as children. Researchers like Solomon and Garside (2008) point out that considerable amounts of funds have been diverted from social services toward the widening of the criminal justice system but what the youth justice agencies could do was only to regulate the youth crime (ibid). The writer proposes more holistic ‘right based agenda’ that would ensure the youth’s involvement in public leisure and other social privileges. Obviously any genuine concern to address the adolescent gang crime should focus on enhancing youth’s participation in social activities. Conclusion Gang and gun crime has become one of the major societal issues in UK that require immediate strategic concern. The rise of gang culture could be attributed to numerous socio-economic and cultural aspects. They include family breakdown, economic downturn, cultural diminution, alcoholism and drug addiction, and the absence of effective criminal justice system. Despite the mounting gang crime rates among the youth, collaborated efforts from the part of government and non-profit organizations have kindled the light of hope through their juvenile diversion programs. In addition to policing, recent policies give emphasis on socio-psychological approaches and interactive programs with intent to avert the chance of one’s getting perverted. As per the new developments, adolescent crime is a multifaceted issue which requires rather comprehensive approach because traditional mode of criminal justice or law enforcement have little role in reshaping an individual’s integrity. Reference Armstrong, D 2006, “Becoming criminal: The cultural politics of risk”, International Journal of Inclusive Education, Vol 10, pp.265-278. Bois, WE 2007, The Philadelphia Negro. Cosimo Inc, New York. Braithwaite 1979, Inequality, Crime, and Public policy, Routledge. Casciani, D 31 January 2008, “Analysis: UK gun crime figures”, BBC NEWS. Viewed 29 Dec 10 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6960431.stm Cockburn, T 2008, “Fears of Violence among English young people: Disintegration theory and British social policy”, Wiley InterScience, pp.75-91. Devenport, J 2009, Gangsters make £3, 000 selling sex slaves in Oxford streets, London Evening Standard, viewed 29 Dec 2010 http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23780786-vice-squad-captures-gangsters-making-pound-3000-selling-sex-slaves-in-oxford-street.do Farrell, M 1988, “Young People and Alcohol”, British Journal of Addiction, vol 83, pp. 1137-1138. Golding, B & McClory, J 2008, Going Ballistic: Dealing with guns, gangs and knives, Policy Exchange, London, viewed 29 Dec 2010 http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/pdfs/Going_Ballistic.pdf Gang and Gang crimes: the facts, Directgov, viewed 29 Dec 2010 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/WorriedAbout/DG_171314 Levinson, D (Ed) 2002, Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment: Volumes1-4: SAGE, US. 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