Why Do Youth Become Involved in Gangs?

Abstract

An introductory research paper on the issue of gangs within the field of criminology which aims to answer the question- why do youth become involved in gangs? through the examination of the youth gang literature. It starts by addressing the contentiousness of the definition of gangs and the lack of a general consensus on its definition among academics and it origin. Despite the various causes of gang involvement the paper primarily focus on the following factors, namely sense of identity, the role of neighborhoods, socio-economic status as well as examining the media’s influence in distorting the public perception of gang formation. In line within the results of gang related research, this paper illustrates the youth gang as a concept is very broad and that there is no single general theory of approach that could encompass all the contributing factors to gang formation and/or its definition. Overall, the results suggest that the issue of gangs formation and youth gangs in particular cannot be address through police intervention or strict laws but, is to tackle the causes of the problem not its symptoms. An alternative policy could be a balance between the general deterrence that focuses on the general population and a rehabilitation approach. It is only when general deterrence acts in accordance with the law without any discrimination based on race, class or ethnicity that could bring positive results. However, if youth are neglected by society and legal authorities after joining a gang then the problem will not cease without implementing the law in accordance to the norms of society and public's desire. Officials need to re-evaluate the approach in treating both the victim of gang activity and the criminals. In this case, rehabilitation maybe an option to gang involvement since youth eventually are need to be re-integrated into society to enjoy their fundamental rights and be productive citizens.