The Gang Problem in the UK - Essay Example

?The Gang Problem in the UK Introduction In order to answer the question of the gang problem in the UK, one must first understand the composition of a gang, the individuals and the features of a gang. It is imperative to establish the actual meaning of a ‘gang’ and the different meanings in various cultures. In this paper the term will be used to refer to a number of people that are involved in organised crime with a defined code of behaviour. It is much more than a group of young people spending their time on the streets due to common activities and interests (Esbensen et al., 2001: 107). The gang is composed of member ranks, initiation activities and an intrinsic level of hierarchy. This paper gives an in depth analysis of the history of gangs in the UK, several aspects affecting existence their gangs and reasons for violence. The gang problem is mainly experienced in the cities of Liverpool, Manchester and London and regionally across South coast, West midlands and Northern England. Concerning street gangs, the cities that have been reported to have high levels of gang- related crimes have also been observed to have high levels of firearm killings. These include Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London. On the other hand, Glasgow has a profound gang culture and it is reported to have nearly six times as many gangs as London which has a relatively higher population. The increasing number of street gangs in London and Manchester can be attributed to the influence by the American culture that can be observed from the type of graffiti, gang names, colours and signs used by the gangs (Arlen et al., 2010). History of the Gang Problem There have been some changes over the last thirty years in the way the police and the society in general looked at issues concerning gangs. In the 1960s and 1970s the police recognized the presence of gangs in the community but they were not acknowledged as major threat owing to the magnitude of other security issues in the world. The 1980s saw increased awareness about gangs as the problems relating with gangs were becoming more real (Gordon et al., 2004: 57). This continued in the 1990 because of the growth in the aging population. This led to the establishment of several initiatives that were funded by the government. Such programs include the Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and Operation Weed and Seed whose main objective was to fight gang operations in the major cities. There was mounting publicity on the issue and this resulted to the formulation of legislation to bring the problem of gangs to the end. This shifted attention by the media on gangs brainwashed the public into believing that gang crime was widespread but this was untrue (Arlen et al., 2010). During this period of gang revolution the only thing attributed to gang activities is the infamous drug trade. In the early 1990s gangs were setting up drug networks that swept across the nation like wild fire. The number of street gangs grew immensely and this led to an increase in crime in the cities (Gatti et al., 2005: 1179). New gangs were forming at an alarming rate and this trend has continued to date. The 21st century is characterised by a rise in gang activity. Their activities have got more sophisticated and discrete (Peterson, 2004: 800). As a result, the police and other intelligence organisations should come up with innovative methods to curb gang activities. In conclusion gangs are evolving and so should the initiatives to fight against crime evolve. Age Teens and young adults are the main parties involved in gang crime as illustrated by recent studies into crime (Taylor et al., 2007: 356). This can be attributed to negative influences by their peers, social status and lack of parental guidance which contributes to the high levels of crime in the UK (Teen Help, 2010). Teens are in constant need of parental guidance to ensure that they make the right decisions in life. Sadly, the number of family problems in society has increased and this has a negative impact on their lives and in turn they join gangs in search economic and social support. The amount of negativity surrounding the teens causes them to stray and look for comfort in gangs. In addition to, the media has a negative influence on their thinking for example, most films and songs are based on violent themes and if exposed to them at an early age, they are likely to join gangs. Size Gangs vary according to size, hierarchy and nature of crime carried out. Police reports clearly indicate that 46 percent of the gangs specialise in regular crime activities, 28 percent of the gangs are involved in violent crimes at the community level while 26 percent are said to be entrepreneurial gangs that undertake drug trafficking (Arlen et al., 2010). These figures further explain how the police department classifies crime. Precisely, most of the gangs were noted to be lacking a formal structure and their activities are said to be highly territorial. These shocking statistics explain why fighting against gang crime has proven to be a major challenge to the police department (Arciaga, 2007). Additionally, gangs have become more organised over the years with an intricate network, thereby making it difficult for the police to fight the rising crime levels in the UK. Most of the police officers admit that the levels of crime have increased over the past few years. Moreover, gangs have become considerably more violent and the size of most gangs is reported to have increased in the past few years. Gender The important aspect with regards is mainly concerned with female activities in gangs and their experiences. The involvement of women in gangs has attracted attention in the recent past due to the increase in number of women involved in crime and feminists in the field of criminology. Studies have shown that girls are exposed to gang activities at the tender age of twelve years. Approximately 69 percent of the sample size in the sample sized joined the gang before they reached the age of fourteen years (Lees et al., 2008). The main reason as to why females join gangs is because they offer solutions to economic problems linked to discrimination against them in the education and workplace settings. The second reason behind female involvement in gang crime is through peer pressure. Their friends introduce them to gangs and they are easily affiliated into crime. The third reason why girls may get involved in gangs is due to family problems such as drug abuse and domestic violence. As a result of these problems, girls grow up in harsh conditions an under minimal parental supervision hence join gangs to fulfil their economic and social needs. Finally, girls join gangs due to the lack of proper role models and guidance. There is a common misconception that the rate of girls’ involvement in crime is same as that of boys. However, research has revealed that boys are more likely to be involved in serious crimes such as robbery, murder and kidnapping (Lees et al., 2008). In conclusion, there is a higher number of boys involved in crime than their female counterparts. Ethnicity Issues of ethnicity and racial composition of gangs have attracted increasing controversy in the past. It has been observed that a great percentage of the individuals involved in crime are of the Hispanic and Black decent (Gordon et al., 2004: 70). These are not stereotypes but they are the actual figures on the ground. However, it is important to note that the racial composition of gangs varies according to different localities. The ethnic composition of gangs is a reflection of the social and economic characteristics society at large. Level of Violence The rates of violence have increased since the mid 80s due to the increase in the level of gang activity. There was a slight decrease in the violence levels in the 1990s; however, there has been an increase in the violence levels in the 21st century owing to the emergence of gangs in the main cities (Gordon et al., 2004: 70). Gang activity can be described as a cyclical pattern followed by ups and downs according to changes in social and economic factors. Target Population for the Violence Anyone can be a victim of violence but since gangs tend to thrive in socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods where the crime rates are higher than in affluent neighbourhoods. Gangs are established in locations with dysfunctional social and economic systems (Gordon et al., 2004: 70). Gangs also target unsuspecting individuals on the streets and rob them off their personal belongings. It is advisable to improve security in the high risk to control violence. Reason for Violence in the UK There are numerous reasons behind violence in the UK; however, the key ones are social and economic factors. Social problems such as poverty push people towards crime so as to fulfil their basic needs. Lack of employment and opportunities among the youth has resulted to involvement in crime such as drug abuse, theft and an increase in illegal dealings (Gordon et al., 2004: 70). Finally, the government has failed in ensuring security and safety in all regions across the country especially in the high poverty areas and in cities where violence is on the rise. Conclusion In summation, the gang problem is a key security threat in the UK; therefore, strategies should be formulated and implemented to fight the growing rates of violence. As earlier discussed, a gang is a social network mainly composed of the young people whose core objective is to practice violent and outlawed activities. One of the ways to fight against gang crime is through efficient suppression and intervention strategies that educate the teen on the dangers of joining gangs. There should be a review of the existing litigation with concerning gang activities. In conclusion, it will take the combined effort of the society, the government, the legal system and the police department to reduce the violence levels due to gang activities. References Arciaga, M. (2007) ‘Multidisciplinary gang intervention teams’ Tallahassee, Florida: National Youth Gang Center, Institute for Intergovernmental Research, viewed 28 Apr 2013 from . Arlen, E., James, C.H. & John, P.M. (2010) ‘Highlights of the 2008 National Youth Gang Survey. U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’. Esbensen, F.A., Winfree, L.T. & Taylor. T.J. (2001) ‘Youth gangs and definitional issues: When is a gang a gang, and why does it matter?’ Crime and Delinquency, vol. 47, pp. 105-130. Gatti, U., Tremblay, R. E., Vitaro, F., and McDuff, P. (2005)’Youth gangs, delinquency and drug use: a test of selection, facilitation, and enhancement hypotheses,’ Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, vol. 46, no. 11, pp. 1178–1190. Gordon, R.A., Lahey, B.B., Kawai, E., Loeber, R., Stouthamer-Loeber, M. & Farrington, D.P. (2004) ‘Antisocial behaviour and youth gang membership: Selection and socialisation,’ Criminology, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 55–88. Lees, M. H., Deen, M.A & Louise P. (2008) ‘Research review: Gang violence and prevention’, viewed 28 Apr 2013 from . Peterson, D., Taylor, T.J. & Esbensen, F. (2004) ‘Gang membership and violent victimisation’, Justice Quarterly, vol. 21, no.4, pp. 794–815. Taylor, T.J., Peterson, D., Esbensen, F.A. & Freng, A. (2007) ‘Gang membership as a risk factor for adolescent violent victimisation’, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 351–380. Teen Help, (2010) ‘Teen gang involvement (Youth gangs and Violence, 2008)’. Read More