Youth Gangs Across the Globe

Youth Gangs Across The Globe

From L.A. to El Salvador

Most gangs are created to form a sense of power and control. All types of problems are presented to the youths of today growing up in major cities. Before being so eager to jump to conclusions, we must learn to try to understand these problems, or we will never find a solution to them.

Gang members are out there trying to find a family that some never had. It may not seem like much to you - an abandoned house or a park - but it becomes a place to call their own. It's easy to say "why don't they ever leave the gang", but many of those teenagers won't leave until years to come, if ever. Gang life becomes the only thing they know. Everyone wants to feel needed, and in those blocks or areas, they feel needed.

The gang life in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York are considered to be the most notorious. Why? Because their history is so violent, and a steady ongoing process. The African-American and Hispanic gangs are the prime target of the media network and the more publicity they receive, the more they develop.

I have been raised around gangs all my life. It's not something I hated, but always understood what they were going through. As a young child, you learn and try to be accepted by your peers because you just want to fit in. If you're raised with certain circumstances from life surrounding you, it becomes the only thing you know, unless taught otherwise. Without guidance from someone, they become a product of their environment.

When you go to school and start hanging out with a certain group of kids from your neighborhood, they become dependent on you, and you on them. Why? Because eventually trust will be gained among them. If they're walking home from school and a group advances towards them, and out of the clear blue sky, one of the kids gets hit. Do you run like hell, or would you help your friend out? The decision could affect their feelings toward each other, and possibly cause insecurity about them. They may become known as a coward, scary cat, and so on... For simply making the choice to look out for their self, and for a kid it can affect the way they feel about themselves. When someone shows them attention at that point, they're so easily influenced or drawn to other things.

To feel needed again is what they find in gangs, but gangs are not to be blamed from parent's lack of interest in their child. Joining that gang will give them admiration from the other kids that may have imposed a threat to their own self worthiness. When they're walking down a street and people clear your walk way because of what you represent is intoxicating. The truth is most seek some kind of power, but they have already found it. Eventually their sense of mentality is "I can do what I want, where ever I want, and when I want. Forget everybody else! Police do what they got to do, and I'm here to do what I got to do." They will soon have total disrespect for everyone who makes rules.

When most gang member's family's income is low, it instills an attitude. "What have I got to lose - nothing", because it isn't like gang bangers are coming out of nice homes. Most have to defend themselves the best way they know how, and just like anyone else they do the easiest thing possible. They end up living in the streets, so they will survive by the streets. They commit crimes, and break any law they feel necessary. The problem is some really don't realize it all. How can they feel guilty when they might be able to feed their sisters and brothers, when their mother might be strung out on drugs? Should they feel guilty? I don't believe it's fair to say they should, when society sees it, but choose to act blind to what's surrounding us. They can't be the only ones blamed, because they simply do the same thing.

Everybody wants to be special. If you can't be special by being a model citizen to everyone, then I'll be the one everyone fears is what some gangs think. Clothes can play a big part in an identity. A particular color, hair style, or symbol. Most of the time, it's the cheapest thing that can be found anywhere. Bandannas, hats or shoestrings because it can be worn everyday. An entire dress code may be inexpensive, but it may be pressed to look honorable among them. They eventually recognize each other from the styles they choose to wear, and will know who is an enemy or ally.

They basically wear uniforms just like anyone else. The police dress a certain way and can be easily recognized without uniforms. To the gangs police are the biggest threat to their well being. The fear of going to jail is in their mind, but it becomes a second home to them. The fear is the cops flying around provoking gangs with rumors about who did what to each other. Many police find this funny. If they're real cops they won't want to see anyone hurt, gang bangers or not. - However, to eliminate problems for themselves, why not let them kill each other? Kill two birds with one stone is how some think, so after they cause rumors that causes problems - they have reasonable cause to arrest them. The police cause as much problems as the gangs do, because they're stirring them up.

Gang member's mentality goes to the extreme when a threat is directed at them. No where seems safe until the problem can be eliminated one way, or the other. Like any situation, if you're not even involved, anything is subject to happen. Some of the youths today are involved, but they simply don't know it. How? Because by living in a certain section of the city, automatically divides them. Whether they take part in gang activity or not, pay back from gang warfare can eventually involve innocent teens as well.

Drive by shooting seems to be the most known violence among gangs, and there are a million reasons why they occur. Wars may be over a specific piece of drug territory. Look at this situation so you can understand how they feel, right or wrong.

If you buy a store and start selling food out of it, would you let some man with a cart stand in front of your store with his cart, and sell food as well? Well the gang members feel if they live in a certain neighborhood, why let somebody else from another neighborhood take what should be theirs. True enough selling drugs is wrong and effect people's lives, but we first must understand what goes on before a solution can be found.