Bennett 1 Benita Bennett Edward Salem ENG102 Research Writing July 19, 2009 Gangs, Gang Violence Why

does it exist? What can be done about it? I lived in a decent community at this time. I used to live in a community where there was a lot of gang activity going on. If you were to drive through the community you would never know it existed. After living there we found out that it had a lot of gang activity. I did my research where I live at now and found that it was not to be in existence. It is a community where we have several colleges and universities in our area. Well needless to say my research led me wrong. There is still gang violence here; it is just not talked about. After talking with

several people in the community and going to the community meetings I have heard plenty of stories. Gangs are defined as An on-going organized association of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, who have a common name or common signs, colors or symbols, and members or associates who individual or collectively engage in or have engage in criminal activity. (Conly, 1993) Or as Marilyn Tower Oliver author of GANGS trouble in the streets puts it as Members who recognize themselves as a distinct group; the community must recognize the gang as a group; and the gang must involve itself in enough illegal activities to get a consistent negative response from the community and from law enforcement.

Some people say that Gangs come from peer pressure, economic depravity, and protection from other gangs, money, and lack of family or even family tradition, low self-esteem, which most of the time is probably true.

Bennett 2 People thought that Gang just recently came about in the past 15 or 20 years ago. This is not true, in Olivers book I read that gangs go back as far as 1860 there were mostly white gangs running the streets of Chicago and New York. The study of Frederick M. Thrasher said that Black street gangs made up only 7.16 percent of the 1,313 gangs studied. Then you also had your mobsters (another name used instead of gangs). The Mexican gangs came along in the late 1930s and early 1940s. At one of the community meetings the police invited two of the former leaders of two rival gangs to the meeting. Their faces and names were withheld to protect them. There were several arguments brought up that I am sure some people didnt think of. The Gang leader came back with other form of gangs, such as sororities and fraternities. He claims that these are also gangs. They have their colors or slang language, they look out for each other the same way. He also advised the community that all members that join are not from the same background as we think. They have members that come from good back grounds, very well educated. So the question was asked then why the drive by shootings, robbery, drug selling. The Sororities and Fraternities dont do those things. Depending on who are talking to there

are several reasons why there are gangs and gang violence. Some people think the gang members do these things to stay alive others say they do it just to do it.

Statistical Overview -The preliminary findings of the first ever nationwide survey of gang
activity, the 1995 National Youth Gang Survey, were released on June 20, 1996. The survey was conducted by the National Youth Gang Center under the direction of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The survey found:

Communities in all 50 states reported that approximately 652,000 gang members are part of 25,000 gangs nationwide. Gang problems are reportedly worsening in 48 percent of communities, and only improving in 10 percent.

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Of 3,447 responding police and sheriff agencies, 1,974 reported youth gang activity in their cities and counties during 1995. Only 210 of the respondents reported that gang activity was decreasing. The rest said that their gang problem was getting worse or staying about the same.

Over a ten-year period, from 1980 to 1990, the number of gang-related deaths rose from 350 to 795 in Los Angeles County, California (Conly, 1993).

One survey of Chicago public schools reported that 40,000 school children had been attacked or threatened some time by gang members (Roberson, 1994).

Among state prison inmates who were gang members, 81 percent reported past drug use, and 69 percent said they manufactured, imported or sold drugs as a group. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, August 1994, "Drugs and Crime Facts, 1993," page 27, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.). Some people thing we can solve this problem by educating, offer alternative out for the

gang members, and have stricter laws. They should have some type of parental Intervention; the process can begin at home. The community needs to get involve; one person cant do it alone.

Bennett 4 Works Cited Oliver, Marilyn Tower GANGS, Trouble in the Streets .New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, 1995. Watkins, Christie. How Can Gang Violence Be Prevented, Connecticut, Thomson Gale 2007 Frederic M. Thrasher. "Social Attitudes of Superior Boys in an Interstitial Community" In K. Young (ed) Social Attitudes. New York: Henry Holt (1931): 236264. OJJDP Summary, August 2000 - Youth Gang Programs and Strategies http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/assist/nvaa/ch21-7gv.htm