Criminal gangs are sources of perennial problems to the society such as vandalism, insecurity and homicides. Gangs have existed, and will always exist despite the best effort of the law enforcement. The society often wonders about how gangs are formed. Unfortunately, some are formed or operated by juvenile delinquents. There are many juvenile delinquents in gangs, and various psychological and socioeconomic factors push them to join or form a gang.
An article by Alexandra Topping in the Guardian explores the increasing cases of youth gang offenses in London (Topping, 2015). According to Topping there was a 23% rise in youth gang offenses in London in 2015. There are increasing cases of unsolved murders involving young people, and it is suspected that juvenile gangs are responsible for the murders. For instance, in September 2015, a 16-year-old Mohamed Kwenga was stabbed following a “major incident” with his friends, and some of the suspects in custody are two 16-year-old boys (Topping, 2015). In London, knife crime rose by 14% in 2015, and serious crime involving juvenile delinquents increased by 8% (Topping, 2015). Crime involving firearms is also on the rise. The article explores different causes of the rising number of juvenile gang members, first, juveniles in gang-ridden neighborhoods in London join gangs out of peer pressure and the need to fit in. Other juveniles join gangs due to poverty, an increasing number of juvenile delinquents view crime as the best way to make money easily (Covey et al., 1992).
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Apart from exploring juvenile gang statistics, the article also explores strategies implemented by the Metropolitan police to reduce cases of gun violence. For instance, the article proposes comprehensive ways of preventing young people from joining gangs through a community-law enforcement partnership.
Topping (2015) interviews one of the juvenile delinquents convicted of stabbing another kid. Eduardo was jailed at the age of 17 for stabbing another boy to prove a point, “I felt I needed to prove a point, to be untouchable, to be feared” says Eduardo. Eduardo regrets being a part of the gang because he realizes that it will define his entire life. The reality is that most juveniles are lured into gangs thinking that they will look untouchable in front of their peers, only to find themselves in prison. Young people are now carrying knives and guns, and eventually they find themselves using them.
Though the article focuses on juvenile gangs in London, juvenile gang problem is now a global issue. According to the FBI (2011) many jurisdictions in the U.S. are now experiencing increased cases of juvenile gangs and violence. Gangs are targeting juveniles because they are vulnerable to recruitment tactics and they are more willing to engage in criminal acts (Home Affairs Committee, 2015).
An empirical study conducted by Pyrooz & Sweeten (2015) confirms/supports the article’s argument in a number of ways. According to the study the prime juvenile gang years in the U.S. fall between the ages of 5 and 17 years. About 5% of juveniles are part of American gangs, and once they join the gang they cannot leave the gang. About 400,000 juveniles are joining gangs in the U.S. annually (Pyrooz & Sweeten, 2015). The movies often portray gangs as cool, this attracts young kids who believe that they will have access to unlimited money, drugs, cars and protection. Eventually, they realize it is more of a myth, when they are in too deep.
However, the empirical study also refutes some aspects of the article. The article argues that juvenile gang membership is a permanent thing, young people find it hard to quit once they are members of the gang., According to Pyrooz & Sweeten (2015) the stereotype that most gang members are black and Latinos is not true. The study also notes that gangs have high turnover rates of 36%, hence juveniles in gangs have a chance to start over, but they fail to do so because of socio-economic factors. The study also notes that juvenile gang statistics derived from the law enforcement is not a true representation of juveniles in gangs. The law enforcement undercounts juvenile gang members because of their age, and the possibility that they will change their ways once they grow up (Pyrooz & Sweeten, 2015).
The article also entails the effects of juvenile gang. Topping (2015) states that many young people are dying from gun shots, stabbings and gang related fights. Juveniles who are part of crime gangs are more likely to commit violent crimes unlike other juvenile delinquents as they are trying to show off or prove their allegiance to the gang (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2015). According to FBI (2011) juvenile gang members are exploited to sell drugs and engage in criminal activities by the gang leaders.
In conclusion, the article uses appropriate statistics and relevant information to show the increase of juvenile gang members in London. This is a common trend across the globe as the number of juveniles joining gangs are increasing, despite the preventative measures implemented by the law enforcement. In the U.S. alone, about 400,000 juveniles join gangs annually, and they engage in small to complex gang activities. Some juveniles have been involved in murders and other serious crimes that shape their future in a negative way.
References
Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2016). Juveniles. Retrieved from: http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=146
Covey, H. C., Menard, S. W., & Franzese, R. J. (1992). Juvenile gangs (p. 101). CC Thomas.
Federal Bureau of Investigations. (2011). 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. Retrieved from: https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/2011-national-gang-threat-assessment
Gately, G. (2015). Researchers Find More than 1 Million Youths in Gangs. Juvenile justice Information exchange. Retrieved from: http://jjie.org/researchers-find-more- than-1-million-youths-in-gangs/108359/
House of Commons-Home Affairs Committee. (2015). Gangs and youth crime:Thirteenth Report of Session 2014–15. Retrieved from: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmhaff/199/199 .pdf
Johnson, S., & Muhlhausen, D. B. (2005). North American transnational youth gangs: Breaking the chain of violence. Trends in Organized Crime , 9 (1), 38-54.
Pyrooz, D. C., & Sweeten, G. (2015). Gang membership between ages 5 and 17 years in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health , 56 (4), 414-419.
Topping, A. (2015). Police cuts blamed for 23% rise in youth gang offences in London. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/11/police- cuts-blamed-rise-in-youth-gang-offences-in-london
