Youth gangs are now a common occurrence in today’s society, especially when looks at documentaries outlining their activities. They have been identified as a major problem with law enforcement in the United States. Being a major issue of concern especially in law enforcement, this paper reflects on various questions on youth gangs in a bid to better understand the phenomenon.
Problems Youth Gangs Cause
Tallahassee has reported an increase in youth gang activities leading to the increase in the use of lethal weapons, higher risk of serious injuries and increased violent offenses. Gang participation was linked to drug trafficking and violence (Domash, 2000).
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Reasons for Gang Formation
The reasons behind youth gang formation are poorly researched. Nonetheless, recent advancement projects have identified major reasons for formation as social isolation, negative peer networks, inadequate parental supervision, academic failure, domestic violence and the lack of meaningful employment (Gang Alternative Program, 2008).
Juveniles versus Gang Youth
With the exception of the grouping, these two categories are essentially the same. Gang youth have organized themselves into a group of individuals whereas juvenile delinquents are lone actors in their pursuits of criminal behavior. Furthermore, gang youth may engage in higher level crimes since they have access to lethal weapons, drugs among other tools of trade. Juveniles, however, are restricted in their actions and will only be delinquent in nature (Howell, 2010).
Youth gangs, Violence and Drugs
A number of researches have shown the relationship between drugs, violence and youth gangs (Esbensen & Huizinga, 1993; Rosenfeld, Bray, & Egley, 1999). It almost goes without saying that where a group of youth has ganged up for delinquent behavior, violence and drugs will be involved.
Law Enforcement and Youth Gangs
With regards to law enforcement for youth involved in gangs, such individuals should certainly not be punished similarly to juvenile delinquents. As research would show, social approaches such as community-based rehabilitation could achieve recovery in juvenile delinquents. Nonetheless, youth in gangs have made the conscious choice to make crime their lifestyle. As a result, it is from within and should thus receive just punishment when caught up with.
References
Domash, S. (2000). Youth Gangs: A National Problem Evading Easy Solutions . Retrieved from Police Mag: http://www.policemag.com/channel/gangs/articles/2000/06/youth-gangs-in-america-a-national-problem-evading-easy-solutions.aspx
Esbensen, F. A., & Huizinga, D. (1993). Gangs, drugs, and delinquency in a survey of urban youth. Criminology, 31(4) , 565-589.
Gang Alternative Program. (2008). Why People Join Gangs . Retrieved from Gang Free: http://www.gangfree.org/gangs_why.html
Howell, J. C. (2010). Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Washington D.C.: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Rosenfeld, R., Bray, T. M., & Egley, A. (1999). Facilitating violence: A comparison of gang-motivated, gang-affiliated, and nongang youth homicides. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 15(4) , 495-516.
