...Gangs Kimberly Richardson Everest University A gang is a word that is not uncommon in this day and town. You can find one in every town every city every state. Many people could say that they are scared of them because they are big and bad. Then when you talk to the young boys they would tell you that they are the protection of the streets. My friends are always there when I need them. In the following paragraphs I would like to discuss the gangs in America and what they mean to people today. Now let’s first start off with the definition of a gang. According to the freedictionary.com the definition of what a gang is “a group of people who associate together or act as an organized body for criminal or illegal purposes.” According to a 2005 report there are approxiametely, there are at least 21,500 gangs and more than 731,000 active gang members in the United States(Grabianowski, 2011). Every violent crime that happens in America most of the time comes from a gang. There are no more of the traditional gangs now. The Crips and the Bloods are no more. You now have smaller factions who the younger kids as young as thirteen have gangs such as crews or cliques. There are many reason why a person would even join a gang lets discuss it. Now there are many reason why a person would even think about joining a gang lets discuss a few of them or even all of them. The first reason why a person would thing about joining a gang would first be there are very bored. When you...
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...Gangs ~Britanie Taylor “Gangs”, the biggest threat to societies worldwide. The Oxford Dictionary defines the ‘gang’ as an organized group of criminals or disorderly people. Are your one of these people? I would hope not. You may have been feeling left out by your classmates but have been welcomed I by this significant group that seems to always want attention. Don’t be fooled. Gangs come in all shapes in sizes and welcome any willing volunteers. On the surface, gangs are caused by peer pressure and greed. Many teens in gangs will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it all sound glamorous. Gangs can be very appealing to the eye, you’ll have friends, money and no rules to follow; however, with this comes a price. You’ll be invited to participate in illegal activities such as selling drugs and prostitution that will lead to the endangerment of not only your life but you love ones. In addition, you would have a chance to play the game of chance, where the prizes are: taking a trip to meet your maker or an al expense paid trip to a 8 x 10 square cubical in Her Majesty’s Prison. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? How many of you have heard of ISIS? Islamic State is most dominant of all gangs that uses religion as a cover up. They are ruthless people that prey on the weak and innocent, more specifically young people. Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in today's cities. What has made these groups come about? Why do kids feel that being in a gang...
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...Gangs “Gangs”, the biggest threat to societies worldwide. The Oxford Dictionary defines the ‘gang’ as an organized group of criminals or disorderly people. Are your one of these people? I would hope not. You may have been feeling left out by your classmates but have been welcomed I by this significant group that seems to always want attention. Don’t be fooled. Gangs come in all shapes in sizes and welcome any willing volunteers. On the surface, gangs are caused by peer pressure and greed. Many teens in gangs will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it all sound glamorous. Gangs can be very appealing to the eye, you’ll have friends, money and no rules to follow; however, with this comes a price. You’ll be invited to participate in illegal activities such as selling drugs and prostitution that will lead to the endangerment of not only your life but you love ones. In addition, you would have a chance to play the game of chance, where the prizes are: taking a trip to meet your maker or an al expense paid trip to a 8 x 10 square cubical in Her Majesty’s Prison. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? How many of you have heard of ISIS? Islamic State is most dominant of all gangs that uses religion as a cover up. They are ruthless people that prey on the weak and innocent, more specifically young people. Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in today's cities. What has made these groups come about? Why do kids feel that being in a gang is both...
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...Gangs on the Rise? What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word gangs? The first thing you might think of is maybe violence, drug trafficking, and even possibly in some cases prostitution. Well whatever it is that comes to your mind it is probably not anything good. Gangs feel that they overpower other gangs and don’t allow the opposing gang members to be on “their” territory, that’s where the violence comes into play. Younger kids ages from about 15 to 17 have a greater chance to joining a gang. That’s where it all starts. Growing up I was a pretty ordinary kid. Whenever I started middle school is when it all went down hill. I found myself associating with a group of people that are known as “bloods”. I thought they were pretty cool to hang out with and everybody knew them so I decided to choose them to hang out with. Little did I know I was just slowly making my way into this gang. Now that I look back on my past I wish that there was more that the community could have done to reduce the gang activity and violence. What are some ways community’s could help reduce violence and gang activity in their neighborhood nowadays? Violence and gang activity in America has always been around and still will but, as a community I believe that we could reduce violence and gang activity. Statistics prove that gang activity has always been on the rise. People don’t realize gang activity is everywhere. It is not just on the Southside, Westside or Eastside it is everywhere...
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...Melvin Coe Thomas Edison State College SOC-384-OL010 Abstract In this paper I will attempt to prove that gangs are a problem in our society today and jails are not the solution to this problem. I will also attempt to show that people and organizations on watch are not only slowing down gang activity, but in all their power trying to put an end to it. Gang Activity in Camden I also did my own research about the gang activities in Camden and surrounding areas. This came up with a lot of interesting information that I did not know anything about. The arrests and sentencing factors associated with these gangs, the policing to reduce gang corners, and the violence cause by these gang members. For my online searches I used google and Firefox. This is where I typed in the information and was able to access the Newsworks, which gives you a break down by city or state. I also went on the Temple University site, which I was able to research data in their Department of Criminal Justice. I wanted to familiarize myself with some of the policies that the police and government are trying to put in place to stop the gang violence. A friend of mines who is a Paralegal allowed me do access her LexisNexis program, which gives you a lot of details on cases involving gangs not only in your area, but others as well. Interview: On Friday, June 5, 2015; I spoke with a retired police officer, which he did not want his real name to be mentioned, so we will call...
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...gets to know that her own son or daughter has commited a crime its hard for them to handle a monstourus disaster, because they don’t know what to do in that case its hard for her and for all the mothers that go through and effects them. Crime has influenced people all over the world in many monstorous cases. But in this case many of us tend to believe that crimes starts, when poverty hits them because of lacks of need in homes. Do you think this is true? Will I believe this is true because by coming from and urban community and poverty and surrounded with latinos and other ethincs I have experience with my own that people do what it takes for their family not to suffer from proverty or other needs, they will be involve in drugs trafficking, gangs,...
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...Gangs The word “Gang” at one point in time was only used to describe a group of people, now days the word “Gang” is associated with negative groups who commit crime and violence. According to the FBI over 20,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs and prisoner gangs currently exist throughout the United States, with over one million members (Federal Bureau of, 2009). Gangs are made up of all types and kinds of human beings from men, to woman, and even children. A good amount of the crime in several communities around the U.S. is victimized by the gang related activity. Gang activity is higher in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Arizona and New York, with more than half of all homicides thought to be gang related homicides (Muhlhausen, 2007). Overall organized crime is anywhere and everywhere; this is a very difficult area for law enforcement to keep control over, a non ending battle against something that will always gain new members. These new members join for many reasons and come from many backgrounds, mainly from distress and un-oriented families. The word “Gang” at one point in time was only used to describe a group of people, now days the word “Gang” is associated with negative groups who commit crime and violence. A street gang is “an association of individuals who have a gang name and recognizable symbols, a geographic territory, a regular meeting pattern, and an organized, continuous course of criminality” (Kenneth J. Peak, 2009). When you walk out of...
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...Project Gangs David Vary Bryant & Stratton College CRJU102 W. Verna 25 July 2013 Introduction This paper is on Gangs. It will include the meaning of gangs both the Federal and State definition. The others areas it will cover will be the History of Gangs, The impact of Gangs, Gang Problems, Drugs and Trafficking, Guns and Violence, and Special gang Units. Federal Definition The federal definition of gangs as used by the DOJ, DHS, and ICE is an association of three or more individuals; whose members collectively identify themselves by adopting a group identity, which they use to create an atmosphere of fear or intimidation, frequently by employing one or more of the following: a common name, slogan, identifying sign, symbol, tattoo, or other physical markings, style or clothing, hairstyle, hand sign, or graffiti; whose purpose is to engage in criminal activity and which uses violence or intimidation to further its criminal objectives. Whose members engage in criminal activity or acts of juvenile delinquency that if committed by an adult would be crimes with the intent to enhance or preserve the association’s power, reputation or economic resources? The association may also possess some of the following characteristics: The members may employ rules for joining and operating within the association. The member may have to meet on a recurring basis. The association may provide physical protection of its member from others. The association may seek to exercise...
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...violence has become a prominent problem in society. Gangs use violence as a primary operating procedure to gain power and regulate drug sales. Gang violence is a domain expansion of the general social problem of violence. Gang activity is very prevalent in lower income neighborhoods and ethnic ghettos where underprivileged children are often recruited. Economic hardships often fall on families with children under the age of 18. Poverty stricken adolescences commonly resort to gangs because a gang can give youth a sense of control and a way to make money. Youth that are craving a role model can seek this out in a gang. Uniting as a gang is a way many oppressed individuals overcome prejudices. A gang can offer its members a sense of protection and belonging. Many of the inequalities that gang members fight against stem from racism and from the fact that they are of a minority group. In this nation there is a high value placed on being "white". Ore claims that inequality stems from the values we as a society attach to the differences we see between us and other people. The key way that gangs lash out against this inequality is through violence. Violence has become a standard operating procedure with in gangs. "Gang violence appeared to be motivated by a desire for material gain and a related desire to exert control over public facilities and resources." (Miller 1977) The violence has essentially become a culture. Guns give gang members a false sense of power and importance because...
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...Gangs throughout American have been around for more then a hundred years. Gangs really started when immigration in America was increasing as well as the criminal behavior. The Prohibition is a time when gangs rose to power by selling illegal alcohol and also paying off corrupt cops. The leaders of the gangs were considered lords and they had control of the city. In the later 20th century gangs began to change and focus more on drugs and violence. Gangs were focused more on the media and controversies between different coasts in America. They were fueled by hatred and explicit music. Also adolescents in gangs started to increase sufficiently over time. With the growing presence of criminal street gang members in the United States, communities everywhere are experiencing the damaging impact of their criminal behavior. A 2011 report by the National Gang Intelligence Center reported the number of gang members in the United States was conservatively estimated at 1.4 million. As these gang members evolve, are they using our nation’s colleges and universities to educate themselves? How will that affect our communities? A survey conducted by college students and campus police showed that less than one in four students agreed there was a gang problem in the community around their campus, while two of three of the police respondents agreed with the statement. Students and police agreed in similar percentages that there was a gang problem within the campus community. At least half of both...
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...Gangs within the System Prison is a system that was made to make inmates better. Since the start of prisons, gangs have become a big part. Gangs fight in order to dominate and run everything. It is a constant battle between them. Who you are affiliated with says a lot. Gangs in prison are more than just a group of men killing each other , It is more family oriented . Prison gangs were originally formed by inmates as a means to protect themselves from other inmates. Throughout the years, prison gangs have evolved from a group that provides protection to its members, to criminal entities involved in prostitution, assaults, drugs and murder. Prison gangs continue to thrive because prosecuting them has, historically, been difficult due to the fact that many members are already serving life sentences with no possibility of parole. Most inmates use gangs as protection because once you go to prison your “Out of Bars” life is gone so you do not have anyone to protect you. This is why people join gangs in prison for the protection. When you first get into jail you are technically a “Newbe” because no one knows who you are or what you are capable. This creates the idea of “Moving Up the Ladder” this is when you create a resume of doing things such as killing selling and earning respect to become of high statue. Inmates have to put in “work” to move up. When they first arrive, the inmate has to gain respect from everyone else. In the documentary you see Bulldog talks about how...
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...Prison Gangs Prison gangs are criminal organizations that originated within the penal system. The first known American prison gang was the Gypsy Jokers. The Gypsy Jokers formed in the 1950’s in Washington state prisons. The first gang with nationwide ties was the Mexican Mafia, which formed in 1957 in the California Department of Corrections. According to statistics, gang activity in prisons has increased from only 9.4% in 1991 to 24.7% in 1999 and is even higher now. Today there are five original major prison gangs known as “Traditional Prison Gangs.” These prison gangs formed in the 1960’s and 1970’s in the California corrections system. A prison gang consists of a select group of inmates who have an organized hierarchy and who are governed by an established code of conduct. In addition to committing criminal acts in the prison, a prison gang also shares the following characteristics: * Formal membership with a required initiation or rules for members * A recognized leader or certain members whom others follow * Common clothing (such as jackets, caps, scarves or bandannas), or group colors, symbols, tattoos, or special language * A group name * Members from the same neighborhood, street, or school * Turf or territory where the group is known and where group activities usually take place. Prison gangs vary in both organization and composition, from highly structured gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood to gangs with a less formalized structure...
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...Gang Violence: What Really is Going on? Professor Holly Walpole ENG 1270: English Composition II Module 4: Research Paper Indiana Tech 10 December 2014 Outline THESIS: Gang violence is an escalating problem in American society today I. Gangs in the United States are becoming more violent and deadly than ever. Thousands of people are dying each year from these ill-mannered thugs. II. Gangs within the past two decades, beginning in the early 1980’s a growing concern has been focused on what can be considered a social epidemic among the youth of our nation. III. In recent times, the news media has cried out against violent media, painting it as the leading cause for youth violence. Gang violence is an escalating problem in American society today. The article offers developments on the research initiated in the 1990 related to the gangs in America. It also examines the increasing proliferation of criminal gangs of Central America origin. Furthermore, it considers the threat that gang violence and gang criminal syndicalism pose to U.S. regional security and foreign policy objectives when gang widening reaches that third generation gangs. There are many different factors that can be blamed for this problem. During the last decade of the twentieth century people began searching for answers to this dilemma which is haunting America. Many tragic school shootings have taken place within the last decade that have the attention of the public. As of now, no one...
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...Marsha Decker English 112’ October 11, 2013 Youth Gangs Today in America we hear a lot about gangs. There are gangs everywhere but the ones we hear about the most are the ones associated with the youth. I am going to be evaluating John Gerhardt’s Youth Gangs: An American Epidemic. By reading the article I already agree with what he has to say. It is about learning about gangs and how most of them are affiliated with races. If one wants to know how they operated then we must know that race can determine what each gang is and the beliefs in each gang. Some of what I picked up from reading the article is that they live in the environment of wanting respect and money relying on gangs and illegal activity to get them there. The three points I am going to evaluate will be guns, drugs and violence and how they are related with the youth gangs in the American society today. Gerhardt mentions “In American society, a crime epidemic is being carried by young adolescent teenagers, with the results usually being fatal” (32). I personally agree with these three things that Gerhardt has mentioned and that they can become super life changing, even fatal. How they can damage your life and put you places you do not want to be. How they influence one and how it could be the deciding factor in joining or being a part of a gang. In America a lot of people have guns, whether it be for hunting or just for the protection of their home. In gangs, a lot of the members carry guns just for the sole...
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...Why Do Urban Youth Join gangs? There is no universal agreed upon definition of a gang. According to the national institute of justice the federal definition is “An association of three or more individuals whose members collectively identify themselves by adopting a group identity, which they use to create an atmosphere of fear or intimidation, frequently by employing one or more of the following: a common name, slogan, identifying sign, symbol, tattoo or other physical marking, style or color of clothing, hairstyle, hand sign or graffiti.” The purpose of a gang is to engage in criminal activity and which uses violence or intimidation to further its criminal objectives. Gangs come in all different types, there are multiple types of gangs; for example motorcycle gangs, prison gangs, hate groups, adult organized crime groups, terrorist organizations and other types of security threat groups. The reasons people tend to join gangs are lack of jobs, poverty, domestic violence, and lack of education. The most common age for youth to join a gang is between 13 and 15. Youth join gangs for various reasons; money, sense of support and belonging, peer status, and a sense of protection are seemingly provided by the gang. Youth in gangs are more likely to abuse drugs, engage in high risk sexual behaviors, and experience long term health and social consequences. The reason that today’s youth join gangs is because of environmental factors, early academic failure and lack of school attachment...
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