Lessons About the Subject
The lessons from the assigned reading on aggression and violent behavior are that gender is a risk factor to gang violence. Gender shapes the implications of gang involvement in various ways. The reading also sheds light on the fact that females are not always auxiliary members or sex members and that females are sometimes the gang members. For instance, according to Quicker 1983, Mexican American female gang members in Los Angeles operated independently in their satellite groups in a study. According to recent studies, female gang members form about 30%, and the numbers have continued to escalate in recent years. From the reading, female gang members are more exposed to the risk of exploitation, kidnapping, and sexual assault compared to male gang members.
Issues in the Book
There are four main issues discussed in the article. The reading talks about the risk factors for female’s involvements. It also analyzes the features of crimes and violence by females and the extents of these crimes. Also, the reading talks about how gender influences experiences of victimization that result from gang membership. Each of the sections discussed focuses specifically on female gang members. Moreover, these sections offer directions for future research and also offers comparisons of the experiences of female and male gangs. In terms of experiences within a gang and precursors of gang-membership, youths share many similarities. However, female gang membership is majorly affected by gender in that most female gang members join at a young age in the early adolescent.
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Disagreements in the Reading and Whether the Information is Reliable
According to the reading, female gang members have less likelihood of participating in gang violence than their male counterparts. However, I think gender has very little to do with gang violence. Besides, I agree with the article that female gang members face an array of vulnerabilities and adversities due to gender biasness in society. However, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that females join gangs to satisfy their emotional and practical needs making this information biased. What's more, practical and emotional needs as a predisposing factor to joining gangs have very little to do with gender; hence the information cannot be trusted.
Areas Still Being Researched
Areas still under research include the claim that female gang members are sex objects and auxiliary members. Besides, they are said not to be actively engaged in gangs as their male counterparts. However, feminists view this as the male perspective and that it is based on sexist belief that women are weak, subservient, passive, and dependent on men. Besides, male gang members have been reported to exaggerate their sexual involvement with the female members. Therefore, there is a need for more research on these areas to establish whether or not the claims are true or exaggerated.
How it Fits in My Research Interest
This reading fits my research interest because to determine the experiences of young women and girls with victimization and criminal activity; it is important to determine the sex composition of gangs. The reading provides an insight into the gender composition of gangs and hence fits my research interest. The article also states that violence and criminal activity among both males and females increase with gang violence. Also, in a recent study by Melde and Esbensen, 2013, transitioning of youths from non-gang affiliated to gang members increases the risk of delinquency by 592%. For individuals who leave gang membership, their delinquency reduces even though it remains high.
Reference
Sutton, T. E. (2017). The lives of female gang members: A review of the literature. Aggression and violent behavior , 37 , 142-152.
