...RUNNING HEAD: Gang Violence in our Schools Gang Violence in our Schools Tonya Upton ENGL 103-1403A-29 Professor Lisa Reason CTU Online August 5, 2014 Gang violence in our schools has become a national epidemic. Every day we send our children to school expecting for them to have a safe learning environment. Sadly in this day and age that is not so. “Today’s gangs are more violent, their activities are more widespread and they are more entrenched within communities” (Cahill, 2010). Gang violence in our schools not only affects our children but also our community. With gang violence on the rise more extreme measures must be taken to combat this important issue. Gang violence has become so common in our schools that by some standards it has become socially acceptable by our youth. Peer pressure has been an influence on our society since the beginning of time. In today’s world it’s more present than ever. Our children see violence in the world around them on a daily basis, so why should it be strange for them to see it in their schools environment? It’s what all the cool and popular kids are doing. It makes them part of a group and they are not alone anymore. They now have friends who like them and make them feel accepted. Getting good grades and following the rules are not as important to them as their new friends are. By succumbing to their peer’s pressure of joining a gang or group they may feel that they are a part of extended family. This would be...
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...The effects of Gang Violence Gangs have been around since the beginning of time. Humans have always banded together for mutual protection and support - and to better dominate others. Gangs have always provided a way for people to more effectively get what they want, especially if it comes to force. And weaker members of society gravitate toward gangs that they feel can offer a sense of community and protection from others. But today were going to reflect on the effects of the most modern gangs. I watched the movie “Boys In The Hood” Directed by John Singleton in 1991. And it was an onscreen representation of what takes place in the urban areas of our country. Street gangs in the U.S. arose with Italian immigrants related to the Sicilian Mafia and others. These street gangs in New York City stole and killed to get what they wanted. One of the most famous street gang members was Al Capone, who later moved to Chicago in 1919 to help keep the other gangsters in order. Street gangs of this type were quite popular in the 1920s and 1930s.Gang Violence as we know goes beyond racial barriers, but it more vividly affects black and Latinos in America. I have chosen this topic because I have witnessed the effects of gang violence culturally, socially, and personally. It’s no secret that even St.Louis, MO is well known for gang violence. I don’t condone gangs but there are key factors that give reason for its existence. Gangs today have similar practices of creating their own sub-language...
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...Gangs in the United States James C Vincent II Metro State University of Denver Abstract Gangs are not really addressed a lot. The criminal justice system really doesn’t have a big effective way to combat gangs or gang violence. You can arrest people that are affiliated with gang related things but there will always be someone behind them. Gangs in the United States today only serve 3 purposes. To protect, make money and gain power. As long as there is one of those variables available someone will always be up for anything. The youth are the most important in this factor because they are the future of our society. I don’t personally agree with the current solution of incarceration of minors. If there was another way that involves turning their lives around, I personally believe less of our youth will be recruited. There was an after school program for troubled youth but it has been shut down due to funding. If there was some type of big organization to stop development of gangs and recruiting this would not be a problem. Gangs are in every city of every state and one of the leading causes of some type of crime. The system fails to realize the true cause of gangs. Without knowing anything about gangs there will not be a solution to the violence or crimes. There are some things that are obvious. For example, there are more minorities in the gangs in the United States. While that...
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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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...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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...The Effects of Gang Violence on Society Gang violence is a very serious problem that has become extremely prevalent in many neighborhoods around the United States, and impacts each and every American in one way or another. Many Americans feel that gangs and the associated violence does not affect them because they live in an upscale neighborhood, however this couldn’t be further from the truth. Understanding and developing methods to curb this trend and offer positive alternatives to our youth, will go a long way in strengthening society, both socially and economically. By decreasing the active gang presence in this country, society can also drastically improve morally and culturally, while instilling hope and cohesiveness among the youth of America. Gang violence affects Americans in many ways, both directly, and indirectly. The direct effects include becoming the victims of crime, such as robbery victims, extortion victims, or even being murdered by gang members. Some of the indirect consequences include increased costs for healthcare, increased costs of consumer goods, and higher taxes to pay for law enforcement who deal with gangs. According to the National Gang Center “A single adolescent criminal career of about ten years can cost taxpayers between $1.7 and $2.3 million.” (James C. Howell, August 2006, page 6). Gang violence also greatly contributes to many other social problems within society, such as lack of trust, lack of safety, and an overall decrease...
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...Houston Gangs Houston is a very populated city that has a very big problem with gangs in the communities. There are many people that are concerned about their children going to school safely because there’s so much gang activity in Houston. Many of the children’s parents are concerned about the influence of gang activity that is constantly rising. I have seen twelve year old kids being influenced to be in a gang or either gang affiliated already. Communities are terrified to even let their children go outside and play, thinking that they are going to get shot because of everyday shootings constantly happening. The gang violence has to come to an end, but how can Houston stop the gang violence in communities? What can the city possibly do to decrease gang activity? The Police department could force officers to become stricter against gang activity and violence. The community can support no gang violence. Houston could have better activities within the community to keep children and people away from trouble. Schools can have stricter programs against gang activity. The community could create programs that has ex-gang members influence the youth no to take the wrong path in life. It’s so many ways that could reduce the gang activity in Houston. There are many things that the Houston police departments can do to reduce gang violence in Houston, and one way is to make police officers stricter about gang violence in the streets of Houston. I’ve seen copious amounts of gang activity...
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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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...Costanza and Ronald Helms. "Street Gangs and Aggregate Homicides: An Analysis of Effects During the 1990s Violent Crime Peak" Homicide Studies 16(3): 280-307. June 11, 2012. Online. June 12, 2013. City-level violence escalated and peaked during the 1990’s, which possibly caused a similarly high homicide rate. Many studies have linked gang activity with higher rates of violent crimes. This study uses empirical research to link gang violence with homicide rates. A majority of studies only looked at the micro level of gang attribute violence and homicide correlation. Costanza focused on the macro level using 154 U.S. cities to determine if active gangs directly correlated with homicide rates. Criminologist in the 1990’s paid special attention to the structural factors contributing to the all-time peak of violence in the young men demographic. Researchers have remained focused on the patterns of homicide within the context of the violence peak in the 90’s. Costanza chose to “focus explicitly on the plausible empirical link between street gangs and homicide offending in central cities throughout the Unites States”. The factors that lead to an increase in homicide include the drug market, guns, and gang presence. Recent studies have shown that it is a combination of factors, as opposed to just financial opportunity, that lead to gang membership. The reason for the lack of macro level studies of gang violence has been due to the lack of gang related studies. Maxson in 1992, published...
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...June 23, 2013 Research Article Analysis Based on the article gangs were responsible for about 20% of homicides in 88 of the largest cities in the United States of America from the year 2000 to 2006. Gang violence The purpose of the this research is to try and identify and asses the high-risk factors in youth population as well as protective circumstances, also prevention for gang related violence and to inform primary prevention strategies. The article mentioned that little research has been done on mental health such as suicidal ideation and depression since this factor might be crucial since they are common amongst youth that are involved in delinquency activity has been increasing in many urban areas it is observed to be at an “epidemic level”. Members of a gang are more incline to be involved in criminal activity and violence than peers who are not affiliated with any gangs. Based on the research article about five percent of the population in the U.S. has ever affiliated with a gang and gang membership in many urban area has reached a percentage of about fourteen to thirty one percent. Memberships of gangs has a high impact on a youth’s health, prevention efforts can be done when youth are in they’re early adolescent age and discouragement of being in a gang or the desire to be in a gang might compellingly decreased the number of youth being recruited and also the number of gang related violence or activities. The study that was done showed an approach by public...
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...Gang Violence 1 Running Head: GANG VIOLENCE IN SALINAS Gang Violence in Salinas Angelica Mejia-Rutland Portland State University Gang Violence 2 There are certain distinct crime problems that notably stand out to the citizens of a community. Problems that the community would like addressed, reduced, and eventually eradicated. The crime problem I would like to address in this paper is the dilemma with gang violence in the community I was raised in, Salinas, California. I will explain the problem, the underlying theory of the root causes of the problem, and deliver a proposition on what we can do to fix it. I was born and raised in a town in central California called Salinas. While I currently reside in Washington State with my husband, I typically spend five months out of a year in Salinas. For as long as I can recall, Salinas has always had a strong presence of gang members dwelling in the community. “There are several hundred gang-related crimes in Monterey County annually. These crimes include homicide, felony assault, robbery, and other[s]. In Monterey County there are over 60 active gangs with an estimated 3,000 individuals involved in various levels of gang activity. Of the 60 active gangs, 16 are located in Salinas with an estimated 1,500 [certified] members” (http://www.scyp.org). Salinas has always seemed to have had a reputation for gang violence. “One of...
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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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...Trenton Gang Violence on the Decline Myth or Fact In conducting my research on gangs in Trenton, New Jersey and whether or not their presence and the perception that violence is on the decline; either myth or fact appeared contradicted at best, similar to how our researchers in the context of our reading toggled with the definition of gangs. The scope and methodology of my research consisted of the following approach: Interviews: I spoke with a detective and long time friend B. Mathis on the phone of the Trenton police department on approximately December 17, 2009 regarding his take on how his law enforcement teams were dealing with combating the war on gangs in Trenton. I spoke with Z. Chester, Trenton Central High School classmate on December 17, 2009 who is now running for City Council from whom I wanted to obtain a political view point on the gang progress or decline in Trenton. I conducted a similar interview with a distant friend T. Mack, who is now running for Mayor in Trenton on the same political views on gang violence and potential decline within the city. I had arranged, but was unable to speak with a former security guard of Trenton Central High and Junior High School #1 by the name of B. White about his perception of gang activity in comparison from middle school to high school and some of his experiences as he attempted to uphold discipline in the capacity of his role as a security guard. Lastly, I gathered some small, but factual information from...
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...The gang issue in America is not a new one. Gangs have been around for many years but in the past couple of years the violence and gang related crime has escalated significantly. Police departments across the nation have developed gang units in which the specific purpose is to target and curtail the area's gang criminal activity. There are many different gangs, with many different names however, they all have certain commonalities in that they are driven by criminal activity, they have involvement with the drug industry and they recruit members to keep their numbers strong. Offering a "substitute for what society fails to give," (Thrasher, 1927, p. 33) the urban gang attracts youth through the promise of alternatives and opportunity not found elsewhere. Once the gang is created, its behavior--activities and attitudes--generally reflect the failures and absence of opportunity found in the social and economic structures of American society. Alienation and restriction of gang members (and the entire communities in which they develop) from participation and success in middle-class society forces a search for alternative, innovative means with which a sense of dignity, purpose, and accomplishment can be experienced. The gang behaves in many varied ways, Today's gangs are best characterized by their diversity in ethnic composition, geographical location, organization, and the nature and extent of members' involvement in delinquent or criminal activities. Hispanics have the highest percentage...
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...The city of Los Angeles is the gang capital of the world. As of today, there are more than 450 active gangs in the city of Los Angeles with a combined membership of over 45,000 individuals. Also, throughout the last three years there were over 16,398 confirmed gang offenses in SoCal. More than half of the homicides reported in Los Angeles, are elated to gang violence (LAPD). In the article, “Stop Gangs” it implies gangs are transforming, increasing, and settling themselves in our inner cities, or suburbs communities. They are selling drugs to our kids, shooting up our neighborhoods, invading our homes, robbing our stores, stealing our money, and generating fear and violence everywhere they go. They are violent and are responsible for committing crimes from assaults to murder using firearms,...
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