Gang Violence and Links to Drugs - Research Paper Example

Gang Violence and Links to Drugs Crime may be defined as an action or activity considered as an offense against society in general, prosecuted by public officials and is punishable under criminal law by statutorily imposed sanctions such as loss of personal freedom or life1 (Gaines and Miller 7). One of the manifestations of crime in the American neighborhood is gang violence. Gangs consists primarily of adolescents and young adult males who are usually found in “minority, low-income, and socially, if not physically isolated sectors of community” (Spergel xiii). Much of the common knowledge about gangs may, however, be attributed to the publicity given by media in general, who depicted gangs in the context of violence, drugs and chronic delinquency (Decker and Van Winkle 1; Spergel xiii; Monteverde 19). Such depiction is not, however, a media overplay, but a resounding unfortunate fact. The National Drug Intelligence Center reported the existence at least 21,500 gangs in the US with total active membership of over 731,000 active gang members in the United States (para. 5). There is factual evidence that these gangs are responsible for most of the serious violent crime in major US cities2 (para. 8). Gangs are also acknowledged as the main distributors of illicit drugs in the country (para. 5). Gangs have, thus, painted a grim picture of youth and criminality in a wretched state of despondency. It is, however, all the more interesting to explore why this group of individuals engages in this form of criminal behavior; and how a more profound understanding of these factors can help dissuade the American youth from joining gangs. An attempt was made to suggest pointers in formulating interventions to minimize involvement in gang activities. The foregoing concerns comprise the theme of this exposition. Reasons for criminal behavior There are a host of reasons why the youth, individuals or groups or anyone for that matter engage in criminal behavior. Genes, hormones3, drugs and alcohol, and psychological abnormalities or personality disorders. There are also various theories which tend to explain behaviors leading to crime such as the sociological theory, choice theory, social process theory, conflict theory, and life course theory. Cassel and Bernstein argued that genes may influence criminal behavior in terms of inheriting genetic characteristics which contribute in part to the manifestations of criminal behavior. The most significant of these characteristics include: arousal systems situated in the central nervous and autonomic nervous systems, intelligence, and ethnicity. Arousal systems which function at very low levels render some individuals unaffected by punishment for their misdeeds or by the stress they caused on the people they harm. It is also the very low level of arousal in the two bodily systems which make it difficult for some individuals to feel remorse for their actions (61). Meanwhile, Crews maintained that the connection between educational level and crime and that “individuals with lower education, intelligence and coping skills are more prone to violent behavior” enjoy support from empirical studies. The connection was grounded on the pro-social behavior model4, which proposes that “individuals with a high IQ5 generally have fewer tendencies for criminal behavior than individuals with low IQ” (63). On the other hand, Bratina provided a theoretical explanation for the association between ethnicity and crime in the context of the so-called criminogenic structural conditions. The association is said to have spawned from historically high levels of involvement in crime among ethnic minorities in the US (263). The posited link, however, is not direct. Based on research findings collated by Bratina, ethnicity is a contributing factor to crime in terms of social disorganization, delinquency, poverty, blocked economic opportunities, culture conflicts, language barriers, the ratio of males to females and issues associated with assimilation (263, 263). Another variable associated with criminal behavior are hormones secreted by a number of glands in the body, particularly, testosterone, based on FBI6 statistics that “90% of all adult violent crimes are committed by men”. Similarly, hormones produced by the adrenals, the sex glands and the pancreas indirectly affect criminal behavior because of the role of these hormones in bringing out aggression and sexual motivation (Cassel and Bernstein 68). Drugs and alcohol do not directly provoke aggression, violence or criminal behavior, but ingesting alcohol and psychoactive drugs affects the brain by way of changes which tends to increase a person’s drive to act aggressively or violently. These negative changes are known to affect behavior in terms of the biochemical action of alcohol and illicit substances with the characteristics of the users. These characteristics include the nature of the nervous system, body chemistry, cultural background, learning history, presence of stressors, expectations, motivation and social conditions (Cassel and Bernstein 69; Covey 46). And then there are these crime theories. Psychological trait theories explain criminal behavior in the light of personality disorders. Meanwhile, sociological theories attribute crime as an outcome of social conditions, in which those who are socially disadvantaged tend to commit crimes as a reaction to the closure of their pathways for success. Choice theories explain crime as a result of a rational choice to engage in a criminal act to obtain the rewards which that act offers (Gaines and Miller 40; Siegel and Welsh 313, 314). Similarly, social process theories explain crime as a result of everyday interactions. In these theory group, crime is designated as a learned behavior with a family member, peer or friend as the teacher. The same theory group explains crime as an act by an individual to fit into the label tagged on him by an authority or any entity of power. On the other hand, social conflict theories explain crime as the outcome of anger or frustration that the perpetrator of the criminal act suffered by being denied the benefits of society. Finally, life course theories view crime as a result of behavioral problems in early childhood which led to wrongdoing later in life (Gaines and Miller 40; Siegel and Welsh 313). Interventions to minimize involvement in gangs Kinnear suggested three fundamental approaches used in dealing with gangs: prevention, intervention and suppression. However, from experience Kinnear believes that successful programs are those which blend a combination of the aforementioned intervention measures, and that the activities employed by the three intervention measures overlap (Kinnear 24). Prevention measures are generally aimed at preventing the formation of gangs or discouraging the youth from joining gangs. Such measures utilize community or organization-based activities for the improvement of economic and living conditions. Common schemes used include early childhood programs, school-based programs and after-school programs, recreational activities, and advocacy (Kinnear 24). Meanwhile, intervention schemes attempt to discourage gangs from criminal activity by providing alternative opportunities and options for rehabilitation. This includes: community outreach, crisis prevention, job training and social intervention. On the other hand, suppression programs employ legal approaches in dealing with gangs, including: police assistance, prosecution of erring members, and serving of prison terms when found guilty. Suppression activities were found to be the least effective among the three approaches. (Kinnear 25). A fourth method used in dealing with the gang problem was through legal means. Juvenile court waivers were utilized to help deal with young gang members to implore their juvenile status to escape from serious management, especially when the gang member involved committed a felony with a firearm. Increased penalties for drug related offenses were developed and meted to young felons for the possession, sale and / or transportation of narcotics or PCP7 (Jackson and Rudman 262). Some states have also enacted laws increasing sanctions for drive-by shootings, which is a popular mode of retaliation among gangs. Other states criminalized recruitment of gang members, engaging in organized gang activities and even loitering as a pretext for conduct gang-related business, and also anti-graffiti measures. Legal injunctions prohibiting the hanging out together of gang members on street corners, car or in particular areas were also utilized to discourage gang crime (Siegel and Welsh 316). Finally, police-assisted gang control takes on three basic forms: (1) youth services programs, where younger police officers are commissioned to undertake gang control in specific locations: (2) gang details, where police officers from the youth or detective unit are tasked with gang-control assignments; and (3) gang units, which are created specifically to help address gang problems in a particular area, consisting of one or more police officers assigned exclusively for gang-control (Siegel and Welsh 317). Conclusion Grounded on the foregoing literature presented, there are varied reasons why individuals engage in criminal behavior. Firstly, intelligence, ethnicity and bodily functions and secretions are interwoven factors which may trigger criminal activity. Some experts, however, ascribe criminality with personality or psychological disorders. The literature also revealed that problems encountered in early childhood initiated the development of behaviors which tend to influence criminal behavior. Other explanations on the origins of criminal behavior also constitute a rational choice to commit crime. A substantial influence observed in the literature surveyed pointed to environmental factors, such as being socially disadvantaged or being introduced to criminal behavior by peers, also influence the commission of a criminal act. One aspect is, not however, exclusive of the other reasons or influences. It may, thus, be concluded that criminal behavior is never inborn, but sprouts from the sensitivity of a vulnerable early childhood, takes roots during adolescence, and flourishes into adulthood as an aggregation of various triggers including bodily functions and secretions, psychological abnormalities, the environment and drugs. Interventions to minimize involvement in gangs should encompass the same vulnerabilities which facilitated criminal behaviors to surface. Components of the intervention scheme should also be directed towards eradication of all drugs and other substances, which fan the flames of violence and provide the impetus to organize and conduct illicit businesses. Private and public secondary schools should be vigilant and ready to deal with the presence of gangs in their sphere of influence. Making adolescents busy in school not only with books but also with other interesting, but supervised pursuits will keep them from the dangerous claws of gangs, drugs and violence. Sports and similar recreation programs should be properly implemented to see to it that all participants in the program are given equal chances to prove their mettle in all activities. Otherwise, any feelings of being excluded or discriminated will nullify any improvements gained from previous participation. The fact that gang members find strength in numbers should also be exploited in designing an appropriate intervention to reduce the popularity of gangs among marginalized youth in society. Most importantly, since suppression measures have been found to be least effective in dealing with gangs, these should only be used as a last and final recourse when all other modes have failed. Annotated Bibliography Bratina, Michele. “Ethnicity.” Encyclopedia of Race and Crime. Eds. Helen Taylor Green and Shaun Gabbidon. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2009. 262-264. Print. The two-volume encyclopedia demonstrated the role that ethnicity played in engendering crime and violence and why the ethnicity factor is significant in the administration of criminal justice in the US. In this book, race and ethnicity were regarded as separate concepts in their association with crime and criminal behavior, but were also cited as the most importance influences to crime and delinquency in the US. Bratina’s explanation in volume 1 regarding the ethnicity-crime link proved useful in understanding why certain ethnic groups showed a propensity in perpetuating crimes in varying degrees. Cassel, Elaine, and Douglas Bernstein. Criminal Behavior. 2nd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2007. Print. This book offered an insightful exposition of the biological, social and psychological origins of criminal behavior. It provided an excellent resource to facilitate the discussion of why some people engage in criminal behavior in this research paper. In particular, Chapters 4, 5 and 6 provided detailed information on the biological, psychological and social and environmental roots of crime, respectively. Covey, Herbert. Street Gangs Throughout the World. 2nd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas, 2010. Print. The book covered comparative perspectives on street gangs, street gangs in the US, Europe, Canada, Central and South America, Russia and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Chapter 2 was particularly useful in the discussion of gangs and drugs in this paper. Crews, Gordon. “Education and Crime.” 21st Century Criminology: A Reference Handbook. Ed. Mitchell Miller. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2009. 59-66. Print. This two-volume work presents authoritative knowledge on a wide array of issues regarding contemporary criminology. The handbook provides information in sufficient detail midway between very general encyclopedia entries and very dense treatment usually seen in journal articles or chapters of a book. Specially useful in this paper are parts 2 and 3 of volume 1, which expounded on the correlates of crime and victimization, and theories of crime and justice, respectively. Decker, S., and Barrik Van Winkle. Life in the Gang: Family, Friends and Violence. New York: Cambridge U Press, 1996. Print. The book highlighted the gang members’ and their families’ perspective in an attempt to provide an institutional and cultural context for gang values and activities. The work was written to gain a profound understanding of gangs and gang members as a prelude to the formulation of successful interventions. The resource was used more as a reader in preparation to the writing of the paper. Nevertheless, the paper was one of the references utilized in the introduction of the paper. Gaines, Larry and Roger Leroy Miller. Criminal Justice in Action: The Core. 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2010. Print. The book forms the bedrock principles of the American justice system at work. The integrated definition of crime used in this paper is a hybrid of the consensus and conflict models of crime. Chapter 2 of the book, which discussed the causes of crime, provided the information for the six theories mentioned in this paper to explain crime and some of its possible causes. Jackson, Pat, and Cary Rudman. “Moral Panic and the Response to Gangs in California.” Gangs: The Origins and Impact of Contemporary Youth Gangs in the United States. Eds. Scott Cummings and Daniel Monti. Albany, NY: State U of New York Press, 1993. 257-276. Print. This book is an exposition of how the conventional world reacts to gang and their activities. It also proposes how gangs are to be addressed as a social phenomenon. This resource provided information for the paper on the interventions used in dealing with gangs in the US. Kinnear, Karen. Gangs. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2009. Print. The book offered a balanced survey of existing literature and other resources on gangs. Among the topics addressed in this book are gang history, types of youth who join gangs and their reasons for joining, where gangs are found, how the police and other intervention programs are dealing with gangs, etc. The paper used this book as a resource under interventions for minimizing involvement in gangs. Monteverde, Matt. Making Smart Choices: Violence, Gangs and Bulleying. New York: Rosen Publishing, 2008. Print. The book explained why young people join gangs and why they engage in violence among others. As discussed, being a gang member offers individuals a sense of belongingness and provides these people something they want wither materially or psychologically. This was used as a resource in the introduction part pertaining to gangs and violence. National Drug Intelligence Center. Drugs and Gangs Fast Facts: Questions and Answers. US Department of Justice, 1 July 2009. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. This Webpage is an HTML version of a brochure with the same now. The Web resource provided facts about the relation between drugs and gangs; extent of gang operation and crime in the US; the dangers associated with gang activity; and signs that young people may be involved in drug activity. Information from the Webpage was used as the source of gang-related statistics in the introduction of the paper and in the formulation of interventions to reduce the involvement of American youth in gangs. Siegel, Larry, and Welsh, Brandon. Juvenile Delinquency: Theory Practice and Law. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2009. Print. Although this book is about juvenile delinquency, it provided significant inputs about the causes of criminal behavior and the interventions used to deter criminality and increase in gang activity. The fact that juvenile delinquency is a usual stepping stone for gang violence, ample information was derived from reading selected chapters on delinquency. Particularly, Chapter 9 provided broad coverage of juvenile gangs and groups. Spergel, Irving. Reducing Youth Gang Violence: The Little Village Gang Project in Chicago. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press, 2007. Print. The book offered a comprehensive discussion of a community-based model to reduce gang problems such as violence and drugs. The first part of the book describes community-based street gang programs, elements and approaches which were integrated into the comprehensive model for the Little Village Project; whereas the second part listed specific contacts and services provided by project workers to program youth. This resource was used in background reading on interventions in preparation for writing this paper. It was also used as a reference in the introduction of the paper about gangs. Read More