GANGSTERISM AMONG TEENAGERS

Time has changed so do the social issues. Problems arising among the youth are at the alarming state. Main problem like gangsterism is affecting the country’s development. It is an ever growing problem in the world especially among teenagers. The most powerful early risk factors for violence at age 15 to 18 are involvement in general offenses and substance use before age 12 (Office of the Surgeon Generaland and etc, 2001).The situation become more serious when the number of female students and primary school pupils take part in gangsterism is increase. What is gangsterism? According to Collins English Dictionary in 2009, gangsterism is the culture of belonging to organized gangs of criminals,. So, the purpose of this study is to investigate the factors of gangsterism among teenagers. There are various of reasons such as peer pressure, family characteristics, lack of attachment to parents or carers and low achievement in school shown that why teenagers involve in gangsterism.
First, some studies had shown that the peer pressure is found to expose a child at the risk of later involvement in gangsterism (Fitch, 2009). As a teenager, they are very sensitive in this period. They are also easily influence by their friends. A study of gangsterism in Malaysia secondary school had showed that friends were most influences to the students compared to the family (Yahaya, Boon and Buang, 2008). Teenagers with weak social ties are those who attend few social activities and have low popularity with conventional peers (Office of the Surgeon Generaland and etc, 2001). They are aggressive and anti-social. This kind of teenagers is most likely to join in gangsterism. Not only that, female adolescents also take part in gangsterism. Many female adolescents, their friends or boyfriends have join gangs so they are also attracted to gangs (Howell, 2010). The