This becomes further complex as economic ties blur between the poor and middle classes and the expectations each has about the definition of materialistic success. By belonging to a subculture, however, one can feel part of something larger, insulated a bit from the criticisms and unattainable messages of the upper middle class, and certainly a way to belong and feel important with one's own environment (Siegel and Welsh, 2009, 130-1).
Contemporary Urban Issues- in the United States, the National Gang Center estimates that there are almost 800,000 active street gang members, most concentrated in Los Angeles County and the greater Chicago area. Demographically, Hispanics account for almost 50% of gang members, African-Americans 30%, Caucasians 13%, and Asians 6% (Carlie, 2002). Unfortunately, Native American communities are also being overrun by gang violence and drug trafficking. Most tribal communities, in fact, have significant gang activity; contributing also to the continued economic downturn…...

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REFERENCES

Gangs in America. (2003). The National Center for Victims of Crime. Retreived January 2011, from NCVC.org:

 http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbName=DocumentViewer&DocumentID=32352 

The Gang Threat - Get Educated. (2009, February 6). Retrieved January 2011, from Federal Bureau of Investigation:  http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2009/february/ngta_020609 

Adamoli, Di Nicola, Savona and Zoffi. (1998, March). Orgqanized Crime Around the World. Retrieved January 2011, from University of Helsinki:  http://www.heuni.fi/uploads/mmadzpnix.pdf

On the contrary societies treatment of certain racial and ethnic groups based on the color of skin or the language spoken also contributes greatly to the formation and proliferation of gang violence.
Conclusion

The purpose of this discussion was to explore race and ethnicity as it pertains to gangs. The research found that from a historical perspective, immigrant communities formed gangs as a reaction to living in a new world and having to confront difficulties with schooling and police brutality. The investigation indicates that in today's society certain races and ethnic groups are often to prone to engaging in gang activity because they fell disenfranchised. In addition, many of the individuals who are gang members are products of one parent homes in which the father is not present. In such cases there is very little direction and young men and women join gangs so that they can have a sense of…...

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References

Chapman, S. (August 25, 2007).A Friend Turned Killer in Gang's Gun Warfare; GUN and GANG CULTURE COMMUNITIES in FEAR the Lawless Lives of Feuding Youths Led to a Fatal Shooting outside a Liverpool Prison. Daily Post.. Page Number: 10.

Gangs. United States Department of Justice. Retrieved May 8, from;  http://www.ncjrs.gov/spotlight/gangs/summary.html 

Hagedorn, J.M. (2006). Race Not Space: A Revisionist History of Gangs in Chicago. The Journal of African-American History, 91(2), 194+.

Manwaring, M.G. (2005). Street Gangs: The New Urban Insurgency. Carlisle Barracks, PA: Strategic Studies Institute.

S. (MS-13, 2012). More specifically, the gang's code is: "First is God, then your mother, then your gang. You live for God, you live for your mother, you die for your gang" (Lineberger & Padgett, 2011, p. 188).
Prison where gang is strongest and weakest (geographically). The State of California in general and the Los Angeles region in particular (MS-13, 2012).

ecent trends in membership. The gang's membership has swelled in recent years to the point where it has been designated as transnational criminal organization (Lineberger & Padgett, 2011). According to these analysts, "In 2008, the FBI reported that MS-13 -- 1abeled America's most dangerous gang --was operating in at least 42 states ... And ha[d] about 6,000 to 10,000 members nationwide." Currently, there are over 60,000 MS-13 members located in ten different nations, across two continents" (2011, p. 188).

Types of criminal activities that the gang is involved in within the prison…...

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References

Atkins, S.E. (2004). Encyclopedia of modern worldwide extremists and extremist groups.

Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Crews, M.D. (2012). People Nation and Folk Nation 'sets.' Florida Department of Corrections.

Retrieved from http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/gangs/sets.html.

Timeline and Narrative of Gang Activity: 1800 -- 2000
Throughout history, humans have banded together for mutual protection and to pursue their mutual interests in ways that would not be possible individually. The historical record has shown that humans that succeeded in achieving this level of mutual protection survived while their counterparts perished, and the same processes continue today. When these collaborative efforts are used for criminal enterprises, though, they become gangs. Indeed, Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves and obin Hood of Loxley and His Merry Men were gangs by any definition, just as Jesse James and the Younger Brothers in the 19th century American West and the gangsters that emerged during Prohibition. To gain some new insights into how gangs evolved over time and what factors contributed to this process, this paper provides a timeline of gang activity from 1800 to the present day, followed by an analysis of…...

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References

Allender, D.M. (2001, December). Gangs in Middle America: Are they a threat? FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 70(2), 1-3.

Black's law dictionary. (1991). St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co.

Conway, K., McCormack, M. & Thomas, C. (2003). Gangs of New York. Social Education, 67(6), 313-315.

Craig, W.M. (2002). The road to gang membership: characteristics of male gang and nongang members from ages 10 to 14. Social Development, 11, 53-68.

Controlling Street Gang Activity in Canada
The number of street gangs in Canada has grown considerably. These gangs pose a threat to life as well as property in urban and suburban areas. The primary strategy adopted in Canada is the use of policing force to suppress the activities of street gangs. This paper discusses the policing strategy commonly used in Canada as well as other preventative and rehabilitative strategies used to control the rise of street gang activity in Canada.

Strategies Implemented in Canada

A number of programs to prevent and suppress street gang activity have been implemented in Canada. Some of these have been developed within Canada while a number of such programs are based on similar programs in the United States and have been adapted to the Canadian context. These programs have been successful in varying degrees and provide lessons for improvement. In Canada, the primary vehicle for controlling street gang…...

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References

Canada and the World. (2010). Street Gangs in Canada. Accessed on 20 October 2012 from http://www.canadaandtheworld.com/gangs.html.

Criminal Intelligence Services canada. (2010). Provincial and territorial overviews. Accessed on 20 October 2012 from  http://www.cisc.gc.ca/annual_reports/annual_report_2006/provincial_territorial_overviews_2006_e.html .

Department of Justice. (2012). Criminal Code. Accessed on 20 October 2012 from  http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/FullText.html .

Jones, D., Roper, V., Stys, Y., & Wilson, C. (2004). Street gangs: A review of theory, interventions, and implications for corrections. Accessed on 20 October 2012 from  http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r161/r161-eng.shtml#51 .

However, some gang members specialize in multiple criminal activities such as street robbery, human trafficking and drug trafficking.
Street Gangs

Street gangs are the major concern to parents, school administrators and the communities because they recruit students and the youths across the United States to enhance the growth of gang memberships. Street gangs are the most prevalent type of gangs in the United States because they influence a strong control in the large geographical regions. Typically, street gangs are characterized with criminal activities, which include brutality and drug trafficking. Presence of street gangs is broadened with their special relations with DTO (Drug Trafficking Organization) in Mexico, Canada, Columbia and other Central American countries. Type of street gangs includes regional-level street gangs specially known for their drug dealing. Functional regional-level street gangs include Latin Disciples, Florencia, Fresno Bulldogs, Tango Blast and United Blood Nation. Local street gangs also known as neighborhood-based gangs…...

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References

Esbensen, F., and Osgood, D.W. (1999). Gang Resistance Education and Training

(G.R.E.A.T.): Results from the national evaluation. Journal of Research in Crime

and Delinquency 36(2):194 -- 225.

Esbensen, F.A. (2000). Preventing Adolescent Gang Involvement. Youth Gang Series.

In the end, the capacity for gangs persist throughout history has shown that they are not merely one-dimensional juvenile delinquents, as they are often portrayed in media. They are also well-organized groups that have the ability to serve social purposes. This also shows that a reason why society still allows them to exist is because of these social functions (Branch 1997).

Nevertheless, media is also responsible for glamorizing the life of the gangsta, which may be a factor in getting adolescent and vulnerable teenagers to join gangs for the sake of being accepted and being part of a family. The outcome of which, if not death or imprisonment, is even if a gangsta decides to become a regular citizen, he will be held with contempt and suspicion by the community.

eferences

Branch, C. (1997). Chapter 1: Since the Days of Knights: Historical and Psychological Overview of Gangs. pp. 9-27. Perseus Books, LLC. etrieved…...

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References

Branch, C. (1997). Chapter 1: Since the Days of Knights: Historical and Psychological Overview of Gangs. pp. 9-27. Perseus Books, LLC. Retrieved August 24, 2009, from Education Research Complete database.

Branch, C. (1997). Chapter 2: Developmental Aspects of Gang Membership. pp. 28-43, Perseus Books, LLC. Retrieved August 24, 2009, from Education Research Complete database.

Gibbs, Jewelle Taylor. (2000). Gangs as Alternative Transitional Structures: Adaptations to Racial and Social Marginality in Los Angeles and London. Journal of Multicultural Social Work, 8(1/2): 71-99. Retrieved August 24, 2009, from Education Research Complete database

Ruble, Nikki M. & Turner, William L. (2000). A Systematic Analysis of the Dynamics and Organization of Urban Street Gangs. The Americal Journal of Family Therapy, 28(2): 117-132. Retrieved August 25, 2009, from Education Research Complete database.

Gang Violence Interventions: Pulling Levers Programs
Gang Intervention

Over two decades of studies have shown partnerships between institutions and communities are required for effective and sustainable interventions to reduce gang violence, but the majority of intervention strategies have taken a reactionary approach, such as increasing policing efforts without addressing the underlying causes of gang violence (Gebo, Boyes-Watson, and Pinto-Wilson, 2010, p. 166). The lack of investment cognitive-behavioral interventions is evident by the prevalence of poorly designed studies investigating the effectiveness of such strategies, which makes drawing conclusions about their value difficult if not impossible (Fisher, Gardner, Montgomery, 2008).

A popular intervention strategy, at least among the law enforcement community, is the 'pulling levers' strategy (Braga, 2008). This strategy is essentially a problem-oriented approach to policing that involves choosing a crime problem, assembling an interagency working group, conducting research on the offender population, and coming up with a list of possible responses (the levers).…...

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References

Braga, Anthony A. (2008). Pulling levers focused deterrence strategies and the prevention of gun homicide. Journal of Criminal Justice, 36, 332-343.

Fisher, Herrick, Gardner, Frances, Montgomery, Paul. (2008). Cognitive-behavioral interventions for preventing youth gang involvement for children and young people (7-16). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 2. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.

Gebo, Erika, Boyes-Watson, Carolyn, and Pinto-Wilson, Sayra. (2010). Reconceptualizing organizational change in the comprehensive gang model. Journal of Criminal Justice, 38, 166-173.

To summarize, research on gangs has shown the gang problem to be increasing dramatically. Gang members list many reasons for joining a gang, including protection, peer pressure, economic needs, social needs, power, because relatives are members, a lack of parental or community support, and social status. According to the research, gangs tend to exist in greater numbers in low-income populations, and in single-parent households. Additionally, research has shown that while there certainly are Caucasian gang members, the majority are Hispanic or African-American.

Methods

The purpose of this study was to determine why teenage males join and participate in gang activities. The independent variables were socio-economic status, peer influence, lack of family support, self-esteem, and protection. The subjects studied were from a high population area near Houston, TX, where the majority of residents were of Hispanic decent. This study examined the relationship between gang activities and the independent variables. This section summarizes the…...

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References

Arthur, R., and Erickson J. (1992). Gangs and schools. Holmes Beach, FL: Learning Publications.

Aumair, M.(1995). Characteristics of juvenile gangs. Youth Studies, 13, 40-48.

Bowker, L., and Klein, M. (1993). The etiology of female delinquency and gang membership: A test of psychological and social structure explanations. Adolescence, 8, 731-751.

Fleischer, M.(1998). Dead end kids. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

Thrasher (1927) correctly identified the reasons for existence and persistence of gangs: "The gangs… offer a substitute for what society fails to give… it fills a gap and affords an escape….thus the gang, itself a natural and spontaneous type of organization arising through conflict is a symptom of disorganization in the larger social framework." (p. 13)
To prevent the youth from getting into the ills of society parents, teachers, the community and the entire nation should get together and contribute their part to it. Parents and teachers should guide the teens and explain to them about the dangers of becoming a part of a gang. The nation should provide their people with more opportunities so as to better their living conditions. Law enforcing agencies should increase their efficiency to create deterrence among the youth such that they would not indulge in delinquency. It is about time that everyone should recognize…...

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REFERENCES:

Winters, Clyde a. "Learning Disabilities, Crime Delinquency, and Special Education Placement." Adolescence 32.126 (1997): 451.

Hagan, J. And H. Foster. "Youth violence and the end of adolescence." American Sociological Review, 66.12 (2001):874.

Jeffery, C.R. "An Interdisciplinary Theory of Criminal Behavior." In Advances in criminological theory (1989):69.

Curry, G.D., & Spergel, I.A. "Gang involvement and delinquency among Hispanic and African-American adolescent males." Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 29 (1992): 273.

Call for backup before attempting pursuit into unsecured potential gang situations

5.. Examples of gangs deploying military weapons and tactics against law enforcement:

2005: Contract assassination attempt against corrections officer in Lakewood, Wash. By United Blood Nation gang member in active service from Bremerton Navy Station (10)

2005: Ceres, California: Active-duty, U.S. Marine Iraq combat veteran gang member shoots two police, killing one, using military tactics (11)

2006: Verbal testimony by several gang members suggests veterans training gangs for combat (12)

2010: U.S.Marine Corps veterans charged with selling assault weapons to gangs (13)

2011: Twenty-seven AK-47s stolen from California's Fort Irwin Army base (14)

2011: National Gang Threat Assessment report: "Gang members are acquiring high-powered, military-style weapons and equipment, which poses a significant threat because of the potential to engage in lethal encounters with law enforcement and citizens alike" (15)

6. ACTION: If you believe you may encounter military-level threat of force from gang members, secure the scene…...

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References: All sources peer-reviewed, government or considered reliable.

Blankenstein, A. "Marines sold military assault weapons to L.A. gang members, authorities allege." Los Angeles Times L.A. Now, 9 Nov. 2010. 26 Dec. 2011 (4, 13)

Cooley, S. "Findings and proposals from the District Attorney's Office." L.A. County District Attorney. April 2008. 26 Dec. 2011 < da.co.la.ca.us/pdf/LADA_Gang_Crime_&_Violence_APR_2008.pdf > (9)

Federal Bureau of Investigation. "The Continuing Gang Threat." National Gang Threat Assessment 2011 Key Findings, National Gang Intelligence Center. 21 Oct. 2011 (15)

L.A. County District Attorney's Office. "Gang Crimes." Hardcore Gang Division, 1 Nov. 2011. 26 Dec. 2011 (16)

George Knox, director of the National Gang Crime esearch Center, teaches law enforcement officers how to search WebPages to pick up on gang member's lingo, territories, and rivalries. He also asserts it is crucial for officers to learn how to "read between the lines" when searching gang members' WebPages. Time on the Web, similar to time on the streets, gives gang investigators the ability to read the hieroglyphics of wall graffiti, and understand Web clues. In addition, "gang identifiers, such as tattoos, graffiti tags, colors and clothing often are embedded in each site" (Gutierrez, 2006, ¶ 27). According to Gutierrez, by studying gang blogs for several hours, one can pick up on subtle word choices, which the gang members consider to be almost holy words. Knox contends that some gangs use the Internet to recruit new members.

Other Efforts to Deal with Gangs

Suppression techniques may be one of the best ways…...

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REFERENCES

ARISE as a gang prevention program. (2007). ARISE Foundation. Retrieved November 6, 2009

from   ARISE foundation. (2009). Retrieved November 6, 2009 from  http://www.ariselife-skills.org/Home/Home.aspx http://www.ariselife-skills.org/Home/Gangs.aspx 

ARISE life-management skills program. A five-year evaluation. (N.d.). University of Miami.

Retrieved November 10, 2009 from  http://www.ariselifeskills.org/docs/pdf/5yearevalexecsummary.pdf

20, California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, STEP Act California 186.20 (http://www.streetgangs.com/laws/stepact.html)," as well as any community that has a disproportionate juvenile arrest rate, or a high percentage of gang related criminal activity or a high number of gang affiliated acts of violence.
The Act hopes to reduce crimes of violence committed by gang members by alerting local law enforcement to their identity thereby reducing their feelings of anonymity in committing those crimes.

The Act also supports funding for the purpose of education and offering counseling and other services to current and past gang members in the hopes they will decide to leave the gang and become a productive member of society.

CONCLUSION

The gang problem is a serious one in which the dynamics create a cycle of feeling alone, finding a "family" in the gang membership, committing acts of violence for the gang and becoming incarcerated. The legislative action that is aimed…...

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References

California 186.20, California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, STEP Act California 186.20 (Accessed 11-04-06)

http://www.streetgangs.com/laws/stepact.html

California 213. Punishment for Robbery (accessed 11-04-06)

 http://www.iir.com/nygc/gang-legis/california.htm

gang development, research and reduction strategies as outlined by Klein and Maxson in their 2006 study Street Gang Patterns and Policies. It incorporates additional research beyond Klein and Maxson, but focuses on the basic analysis of the problem offered in their study. The specific focus of the paper is on finding solutions that work, as distinguished from the numerous failed solutions examined by Klein and Maxson -- with an emphasis on the reasons for failure given in their assessment.
Klein and Maxson's Street Gang Patterns and Policies (2006) offers a sharp critique of existing paradigms of dealing with the problem of street gangs, and in its place offers informed suggestions based on over three decades of research and observation for revising the overall approach to handling this persistent problem. The problem of street gangs is, of course, very old: one of the first-ever sociological studies, written as the discipline of…...

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References

Coughlin, BC and Venkatesh, SA. (2003). The urban street gang after 1970. Annual Review of Sociology 29. 41-64.

Howell, JC. (2010). Gang prevention: An overview of research and programs. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

Howell, JC and Egley, A. (2005). Moving risk factors into developmental theories of gang membership. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 3: 334-354.

Klein, MW and Maxson, CL. (2006). Street gang patterns and policies. New York: Oxford University Press.

Hybrid Gangs in South Florida
On Public Policy towards Volatile Movements

South Florida has an increasing prevalence of criminal gangs in their communities and it is posing a growing threat to their security and safety. It is clear that in that region criminal hybrid gangs are spreading violence and fear in their neighborhoods making places like their parks unusable, and even bringing corrupt behavior passages to work and school, stopping legitimate businesses consisting of tourism, and bringing down property values. Right now, there are more hybrid gangs in Florida than ever before, with approximately 400 in South Florida alone, as stated by the latest state study. Hybrid gangs are not a new threat, nevertheless the most recent state study displays the problem is getting worse especially in South Florida. In 1991, there were 160 gangs in the south Florida region, but by 2007 the number jumped to beyond 1,500 with more than…...

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The community fails to acknowledge the fact that a hybrid gang is an organized group with a recognized leader whose activities are either criminal or, at the very least, threatening to the community in South Florida. They are not being educated enough to understand. Communities lack acknowledgment of understanding the characteristics of hybrid gangs. They do not understand that Hybrid gang show their uniqueness and unity in obvious ways for instance jewelry, colored clothing, jargon, and signals (Crews, 2014). The lack of acknowledging the problem in South Florida, has caused people to not realize that their key source of income for most hybrid gangs is narcotics which fuels a lot of the violence.

Communities fail to acknowledge Hybrid gang members of all ages and that they are used by the gang in the unlawful sale of narcotics and other illegal actions. It is a wrong belief that hybrid gang only function in less wealthy districts. Hybrid gang exist in virtually every community in South Florida and the communities want to ignore the elephant in the room. South Florida does not acknowledge that the gangs belong to one of two alliances, either "People" or "Folks." They do not even realize that both associations are alive and well on South Florida's streets, and in most circumstances are unpleasant rivals. The "Individuals" hybrid gang all wear their identifiers to the left side, while the "Folks" hybrid gangs wear their identifiers on the right (Roles, 2013). Not knowing these characteristics have caused the community to be in ignorance.

They also do not acknowledge that firearms and gang violence go hand in hand. In one study based on responses from 835 male inmates in 6 juvenile correctional facilities in 4 States, researchers found that movement from nongame membership to gang membership brought increases in most forms of gun-involved conduct. Forty-five percent described gun theft as a regular

Certainly! Here are some potential essay topics related to gangs:

1. The impact of gangs on communities and neighborhoods
2. The role of social media in gang recruitment and communication
3. The relationship between poverty and gang involvement
4. The effectiveness of gang prevention programs and initiatives
5. The connection between drugs and gang activity
6. The influence of music and pop culture on gang behavior
7. The evolution of gang culture and symbols
8. The portrayal of gangs in the media and pop culture
9. The experiences of former gang members and their efforts to leave the gang lifestyle
10. The intersectionality of race, class, and gender in gang....

I. Introduction
A. Overview of enforced military service and its impact on community unity and national defense
B. Thesis statement: Enforced military service plays a vital role in addressing social issues and promoting unity through the development of important traits in men

II. Enforced Military Service and Community Unity
A. Role of enforced military service in tackling social issues such as homelessness, gang activity, and crime
B. Promotion of unity within the community through shared experiences and values
C. Example of how enforced military service has positively impacted community unity in other countries

III. Enforced Military Service and National Defense
A. Importance....

Enforced Military Service: Enhancing Community Unity and National Defense

I. Introduction
Begin with a compelling hook and statistics highlighting the prevalence of social issues in communities.
State the thesis statement: Enforced military service effectively addresses social issues while enhancing community unity and national defense by fostering discipline, commitment, and shared experiences.

II. Body Paragraph 1: Tackling Social Issues
A. Homelessness:
Explain how military service provides shelter, food, and structure for homeless individuals.
Discuss programs that connect veterans with housing and support services after discharge.
B. Gang Activity:
Describe how military training and discipline break down gang hierarchies and foster respect for authority.
....

School Uniforms: Fostering Unity and Equality Among Students

School uniforms have become a common sight in educational institutions worldwide. While their implementation has garnered both support and opposition, one of the most significant benefits attributed to uniforms is their role in creating a sense of unity and equality among students.

Promoting a Sense of Belonging

One of the primary ways in which school uniforms contribute to unity is by eliminating visual distinctions based on socioeconomic status or personal style. When all students wear the same clothing, it minimizes the potential for comparisons or feelings of inferiority. This creates a common ground among students,....