How Does Gang Affiliation Become a Social Problem?

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Definition of the Problem
Background
Literature Review
Recommendations for Change
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Despite the intention to create a positive and supportive environment, there are many conditions under which people continue experiencing social pressure, violence, and irrational biases and prejudices. It is not enough to find support but to ensure a better future, addressing available sources and knowledge. In the United States, gang affiliation remains one of the ways to escape routine problems, achieve some portion of prestige, and gain protection. However, today, not much attention is paid to the impact of gangs on social development, human health, and overall violent behaviors.

According to the National Gang Center, large cities report long-standing gang problems among such populations as Hispanics (46%), African-Americans (35%), and White Americans (11%). Thus, the U.S. government takes multiple steps to prevent the progress of gang relationships and involve schools and other influential facilities to solve the problem. Gang affiliation is a serious societal issue of concern due to the existing direct and indirect outcomes on interpersonal relationships and order, and the solution to this problem depends solely on local populations.

Definition of the Problem

One of the most critical aspects of discussing the impact of gang affiliation is the impossibility of hiding this problem in society. People are properly aware of gang violence as a means to strengthen their reputation and status in the local neighborhood, reify territorial borders, intimate community residents, and exhibit dominance over rival gangs (Brantingham et al., qtd. in Valasik and Reid 4). Some young individuals believe that gang affiliation is a good way to obtain social justice and solve problems. The reasons for them to join a gang vary, including peer pressure, boredom, poverty, and the desire to obtain a sense of belonging to something.

The outcomes are even more dangerous because gangs may change not only human behavior and attitudes toward the world but their mental health and emotional or financial stability (Rima et al.). Besides, there are many controversies about how people join and leave street gangs, and the media continues ambiguously covering this issue on different communication platforms (Fernández-Planells et al. 2100). Thus, gangs introduce not only a serious criminal challenge but a social concern.

Background

In the United States, street gangs are currently associated with aggressive and violent young people who are united for unspecific purposes. However, the history of American gang growth is longer than it might seem, and the first official gangs appear at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries. When immigrants came to the United States from different parts of the world, they wanted to create stable and reliable relationships with native populations. However, it was hard to achieve the desired goal without certain sacrifices, and they decided to create groups, following their interests and needs.

In the 1820s, the Forty Thieves was one of the first street gangs made up of pickpockets and thugs (Howell and Griffiths 32). They preferred criminal steps to survive when honest earnings and living were not impossible for them. Similar methods were applied by other immigrant gangs like Kerryonians, the Five Points, and the Bowery to protect their rights and gain their regional freedoms (Howell and Griffiths 32). Gang affiliation turned out to be a privilege during the war periods because of the already-gained relationships.

With time, understanding gangs, their structures, and their affiliation has become a critical criminal and social element. The government needed to manage security in all American regions and ensure that migration did not contribute to gang violence (Paarlberg). The National Gang Center revealed that racial characteristics might not be as important as age ones: more than 35% of juvenile individuals and about 65% of adults comprise modern gangs in the United States. According to Howell and Griffiths, a prison is a place where most gangs are created, and their activities are expanded on the streets with time (36).

Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are common cities where gang members prefer to develop their activities due to access to the required resources and the possibility of hiding. Although the conditions under which modern people could be accepted into a gang differ from those of the 18th and 19th centuries, the main idea remains the same gang violence and affiliation challenge American society.

Literature Review

The issue of gang affiliation is regularly discussed by modern researchers and policy-makers to understand the problem and find the most effective solutions. For example, Fernández-Planells et al. admit the role of social media in gang affiliation and the lifestyles young people prefer (2099). There are many online gang activities that do not require many external resources, just their desire to communicate and discuss urgent topics. In addition to media associations, researchers identify the connection between gangs and human health, using depression and anxiety as the causes and outcomes of a persons desire to join a gang (Rima et al.).

Valasik and Reid contribute to evaluating the conditions under which young individuals prefer gang lifestyles over healthy and non-criminal relationships by stating that gangs are never hidden from the public (4). Finally, Paarlberg mentions political mistakes in classifying gang structures and origins, which results in poor management and prevention interventions. This review of findings proves that gang affiliation is not thoroughly covered in modern media because of the existing biases and wrong interpretations.

Recommendations for Change

Gang affiliation does not have a specific solution, and many profit and non-profit organizations, the government, and experts should be involved. The Biden administration has already implemented changes to its predecessors approach to migrant deportation to prevent gang progress (Paarlberg). The government does not define immigrants as a core reason for gang affiliation in American society but focuses on local drug trafficking activities and money laundering (Paarlberg). Fernández-Planells et al. underline gang sociability by creating social media research protocols and thematic journals to cover the chosen problem (2121).

The main opinion is that preventive strategies should address the quality of education and search for alternatives to replace violent behaviors with positive relationships. Current programs enhance community mobilization, offer equal access to education and employment, and improve the community space (Mallion and Wood). The Gang Resistance and Education Training Program (GREAT) was introduced at the beginning of the 2000s to identify individuals with low self-esteem and risk-taking behaviors (Mallion and Wood). The Criminal History Information Sharing Program improves law enforcement activities and strengthen criminal investigations (Paarlberg). All these steps are necessary to change the populations attitude toward gang affiliation and violence.

Conclusion

In general, gang affiliation remains a serious topic for consideration in American society and requires the participation of different organizations in its solution and prevention. In addition to evident social and behavioral changes related to gang activities, people have to understand that this type of relationship affects human mental health and a future understanding of ethical and moral living principles. The opinions of different researchers and stakeholders prove that gang affiliation can be predicted, but it is important not just to identify the problem but enhance individual participation at different ages. Gangs have a long history in the United States, and vivid examples and reports help identify the already taken steps, their outcomes, and further changes in this sphere.

Works Cited

Fernández-Planells, et al. Gangs and Social Media: A Systematic Literature Review and an Identification of Future Challenges, Risks and Recommendations. New Media & Society, vol. 23, no. 7, 2021, pp. 2099-2124.

Howell, James C., and Elizabeth Griffiths. Gangs in Americas Communities. 3rd ed., SAGE, 2019.

Mallion, Jaimee, and Jane Wood. Street Gang Intervention: Review and Good Lives Extension. Social Sciences, vol. 9, no. 9, 2020. MDPI. Web.

National Gang Center. National Youth Gang Survey Analysis: Demographics. NGC, 2021. Web.

Paarlberg, Michael. Gang Membership in Central America: More Complex than Meets the Eye. Migration Policy Institute. 2021. Web.

Rima, Dzhansarayeva, et al. Exploring the Potential Association Between Gang Membership and Health Outcomes in a Longitudinal Sample of Youth and Young Adults. Journal of Criminal Justice, vol. 66, 2020. Science Direct. Web.

Valasik, Matthew, and Shannon E. Reid. Taking Stock of Gang Violence: An Overview of the Literature. Handbook of Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Across the Lifespan: A Project of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan (NPEIV), edited by Robert Geffner, Jacquelyn W. White et al., Springer, 2021, pp. 1-21.

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