Young People Join Gangs For Social And Economic Reasons Essay

According to the authors of Gangs, Graffiti, and Violence, they state that young people join street gangs for social and economic reasons (Leet, 2000). However, one of the main factors young people join gangs is due to the lack of stability of being raised in an unstable family environment. For instance, gang members raised in a single parent home by their mother, usually in her early thirties, caring for three or four children at a time, on her own without the presence of a male father figure. As a result of being a single parent, the mother is forced to work long hours and at times more than one job just to make ends meet, which results in the children being left unattended without any adult supervision or the older sibling left babysitting his or her younger siblings. In addition to the lack of supervision the moment the child gets into trouble with law enforcement officers, the mother comes to her child’s rescue excusing his actions and behavior. This type of behavior and attitude from the mother encourages the problematic youth to persist in his reckless behavior because she refuses to punish him in his wrongdoings. Therefore, the child grows up playing the victim, blaming society for his downfalls and shortcomings instead of taking responsibility for his or her own actions (Leet, 2000, pp. 10). As stated in Changing Course: Keeping Kids out of Gangs, affirms that in 2010 45% of high school students and 35% of middle-schoolers were either in gangs or reflected onShow MoreRelatedre various reasons behind young people joining street gangs. One of the reasons young people800 Words   |  4 Pagesre various reasons behind young people joining street gangs. One of the reasons young people join street gangs is because of neighborhood disadvantages. A theory that can contribute to why young people might join street gangs is Social Disorganization Theory. Social Disorganization theory assumes that â€Å"delinquency emerges in neighborhoods where neighborhood relation and social institutions have broken down and can no longer maintain effective social controls (Bell, 2007).† Social DisorganizationRead MoreWhy Young People Join Gangs819 Words   |  4 Pagesare various reasons behind young people joining street gangs. One of the reasons young people join street gangs is because of neighborhood disadvantages. A theory that can contribute to why young people might join street gangs is Social Disorganization Theory. 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