Gangs
Why do kids join gangs?
Gangs serve a purpose.
Look at the “membership”. Early U.S. gangs were of European descent, gangs
of Irish and gangs of Italians, developing, for the most part, after an
influx of immigration. Today’s gangs are largely Black or Hispanic. Are
there some commonalities here? What does this tell us?
Maybe these kids feel as
though they are “outside” the mainstream of society (like the immigrant
Italian and Irish)? Maybe they don’t feel that they “belong”, think they
not a “part” of the “real” city?
People who look different
from the majority often aren’t treated with the respect that the majority
receives. Getting respect is a key element in gang membership.
Students who will
ultimately join gangs share some of the characteristics of the “general”
drop-out.
-
May not know the
language of responsibility
-
Has low verbal skills
-
Has poor emotion
management skills
-
Feels excluded from the
mainstream
-
Strongly feels the need
for power over his own life
-
Has little or no
knowledge of his potential in the traditional work world
-
Develops shallow values
centered on excitement/autonomy
-
Feels inordinate amount
of anger, guilt, shame, loss, etc.
-
Fears ridicule
-
May think he is dumb or
thinks he is smarter than others and has everything figured out
In addition, those
at-risk of joining gangs may:
-
Belong to a minority
group
-
Live in a neighborhood
of “visible” gang activity
-
Accept that violence is
a reasonable technique to get what one wants
-
Have no respect for
traditional authority figures such as school staff or police
-
May expect to die young
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Better Grades, Best Behaviors