Gangs Case

According to Sue Titus Reid, "poverty, unstable living conditions, the availability of drugs and alcohol, parents who tolerate or commit violence, falling behind or failing in school, and 'hanging out' with delinquents" (Reid, 2008, p.375) are all factors that can contribute to joining a gang. Of course not all gang members fall under all of these categories. However, these are the main contributing factors. Among the factors listed, availability of drugs and/or alcohol and parents who tolerate or commit violence are the two most influential agents for a gang member to commit violence as well. Fundamentals of Gangs Street gangs are an organization of young people that are usually in their teens and twenties. They join together and claim a territory or neighborhood as their own. They are known for being violent and heavily involved in drug peddling. On the streets graffiti is the means of communication of territorial limits and to challenge other gangs. A challenge can be anything from making a mark on enemy territory or crossing out enemy tag. There are generally 4 types of individuals associated with street gangs. Gangs Since the beginning of the decade, teenage homicides increased by one hundred and fifty percent (Strout, Brian 1996). This sharp increase is largely due to the rapid formation of gang activity throughout the United States (Strout, Brian, 1996). In today's larger cities, gang violence is a reality that people have to deal with every day. As gang related crimes increase, officials are trying to find out why people join and remain loyal to gangs. Unfortunately, experts can only hypothesize explanations for gang involvement.