Why Kids Join Gangs

Why Kids Join Gangs

Pamela J. Robertson

Ohio Christian University

04/07/2016

        This has been something that I always wanted to talk about. Why kids join Gangs? There are a lot of reasons why kids join gangs. Some are that they think that they can find love and affection in gangs. They think that they can be a family. Some want the power and authority to be ruler over somebody else. Some look at the money, clothes, cars, and the houses. Allot is due to peer pressure especially in school of today. Gangs are a problem in the United States and we as Christians need to find ways in order to stop the gang life.

        I can say that a lot of people really don’t know what a gang really is. A lot of people call them clicks or groupies. But those are not gangs. Clicks can be anywhere but mainly they are in the church. Groupies are people who usually be at concerts wanting to see the performers. But gangs are an association of three or more individuals; Whose members collectively identify themselves by adopting a group identity, which they use to create an atmosphere of fear or intimidation, frequently by employing one or more of the following: a common name, slogan, identifying sign, symbol, tattoo or other physical marking, style or color of clothing, hairstyle, hand sign or graffiti. (About Violoent Gangs, July 25, 2011)

        There is never a gang limit on the age of a gang member. The age limit that they go by now is the age of 5 to 17 years of age for boys and girls. It is a sad day when kids young as 5 years old can join a gang and feel comfortable. Adults also join gang. There are so many gangs and they go by any age. Schools are more prevalent with gangs and then they go to the streets. Children has to be taught better in order to know about gangs and peer pressure.

        The requirements of the gangs are so strict and crucial. Some gangs require that you kill a person. Some gangs require that people rob or steal from somebody. Some gangs require that men rape women. Some gangs require that people use drugs or smuggle drugs. Some gangs require that a person do a drive by on innocent people. Some gangs require that you go through a lot just to join. When you are in prison it required that you join for protection from other people of other gangs.

        When it comes to single parent families that is where the majority of the gangs comes from. When raising children in single parent homes children tends to be rebellious toward their parent and any adult in their life. Children are not guided right because the parent has to work to take care of their family the best way that they can. So the child feels like that they are not getting the attention that they need in life. They feel like they are alone in the world. They feel like they are not loved. So they turn to the gangs to get love and affection.

        Why does boy join gangs? Boys join gangs for many different reasons. Some join gangs because they just want to belong to something. Some just think that it is fun to belong to a gang because it makes them look “COOL”. Some join gangs because of peer pressure from friends. Some join gangs for protection from others. Some join gangs because they think that their family don’t love them or want them anymore. Boys goes to jail more often than girls going to jail dealing with gang violence.

        Why do girls join gangs? Girls join gangs for the same reasons as boys. Girls be trying to set boundaries and be trying to see where they can fit in. girl join gangs a lot of times when they are in single parent homes and they see their mother fighting all the time with different men that they have in they life. Girls see being in a gang as an outlet for their behavior that they have. Girls is gangs is something that is common now a day than back in the 60’s and 70s. when girls join gangs they family life is in a mess. They school life is in a mess and they don’t trust nobody because their trust factor is gone. People really don’t realize that girls and boys need a lot of attention that parent a lot of time cannot give. A lot of time it takes family members to give attention too. People just don’t know what these children are going through in their life. People really need to study on gangs to see what they are all about.