Gang Violence
For many years gang violence has plagued cities in the United States and around the world, causing disruptions and chaos in communities, and bringing grief and grieving to families in those communities. There seems to be no end to the killings and gang members appear to have access to unlimited numbers of weapons. Lately Chicago Illinois, in particular, has been the scene of numerous deaths due to gang violence. This paper reviews and critiques an article in The Atlantic in which noted University of Chicago Crime Lab scholar Dr. Harold Pollack is interviewed by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The interview took place in Chicago around the time that Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in a Chicago park on January 29, 2013. Pendleton was a member of a marching band that played at the inauguration of President Obama. At the time of her murder, she was hanging…...
mlaWorks Cited
Carlson, Lois. (2012). Toward stopping violence in Chicago: why there is hope. The Christian
Science Monitor. Retrieved February 17, 2013, from http://www.csmonitor.com .
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. (2013). The Social Trends Driving American Gangs and Gun Violence. The Atlantic. Retrieved February 17, 2013, from http://www.theatlantic.com .
Reynolds, Larry T, and Herman-Kinney, Nancy J. (2003). Handbook of Symbolic
As we use this literature review to explore such issues, it is with the understanding that said issues have contributed to an overall intensification of the problems which are the consequence thereof. That is, the argument will tend to suggest, gang violence is getting worse and more widely spread, due both to the increasing severity of many of America's social problems and to the increased degree of organization and syndication committed by gang members.
The evidence of this is stark and compelling according to recently available data on the subject. In 2006, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) -- invested as a matter of demonstration that this is considered a national and, to some extent, international law enforcement issue -- published the findings that "there are almost 30,000 gangs, 800,000 members in America, and over 2,500 areas of America are affected. This gang violence is not limited to the United…...
mlaWorks Cited
Associated Press (AP). (2007). Alberto Gonzalez: Youth Gang Violence Blamed for Countrywide Crime. FoxNews. Online at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,272424,00.html
Craig, C. (2007). Gang violence in America. Associated Content. Online at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/154465/gang_violence_in_america.html
DeMelo, Diane. (2005). Merton's Strain Theory. Criminological Theory. Online at http://home.comcast.net/~ddemelo/crime/mert_strain.html
Kouri, J. (). Illegal Alien Gang Violence. Law Enforcement Examiner.
gang violence in Canada
Though gang violence is not a new phenomena in Canada, the number of gangs and the dynamics within these gangs has changed. It has been reported that the four most common types of gangs found within the Canadian provinces are street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, mafias and organized crime organizations, and hate gangs. Increasing gang membership -- and the rising number of girls joining gangs, gun violence, and aboriginal gangs have contributed to the rise of gang activity and violence in Canada.
It has been reported that most gang related crimes are based on creating an atmosphere of fear within the community. The most prevalent gang related crimes in communities include extortion, intimidation, and assault ("Victims of Violence"). Other destructive gang activity also includes the "defacement of property, impediments to the population, intimidation of local business, presence of community fear and anxiety, and the general destruction of…...
mlaWorks Cited
Andrews, Nathan. "Canada's Gang Violence: Racialized Crime?" The Brock Press Online
Edition. 23 March 2010. Last accessed 10 January 2011.
Bolan, Kim. "Interior Struggles to Curb Big-City Violence." The Vancouver Sun. 6 March
2010. Last accessed 10 January 2011.
(Hagedorn, 1997). These studies suggest a co-relation between drug and alcohol use and violence, and that most violence occurs when one or both (the victim and the perpetrator of the crime) are high on alcohol or drugs.
However, it is important to consider the fact that most "drug-related" violence is actually drug trade related. In an analysis of New York City's homicides in 1988, Paul Goldstein and his colleagues concluded, "74% of drug-related homicides were related to the black market drug trade and not drug use." Goldstein's study further notes that the leading crack-related homicide cause was shown to be territorial disputes between rival dealers, and not crack-induced violence or violence (predatory thieving) to obtain money for crack purchases (Goldstein, 1989).
Now we will briefly look at some measures that can prevent drug-related gang violence. As we have seen previously, most drug-related crimes are done for economic gains. Hence effective programs…...
mlaWorks Cited
Gang Awareness." Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit Website. February 13, 2002. http://www.lunaweb.com/memgang.htm
Goldstein, Paul, J., Henry H. Brownstein, Patrick J. Ryan and Patricia a. Bellucci. Crack and Homicide in New York City: A Conceptually-Based Event Analysis: Contemporary Drug Problems. (1989) 16(4):651-687
Hagedorn, John. Final Report of the Drug Posse and Homegirl Studies. Findings October 9, 1997. February 13, 2002. http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CUIR/3Research/Gangs/final.html
Swan, Neil. NIDA Refocuses Its Research on Drug-Related Violence. Nida Notes: Violence and Drug Abuse. March / April, 1995. February 13, 2002. http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol10N2/Violence.html
Corrections Issue of Gang Violence in the State of Georgia
Current critical and prevalent corrections issue and its history
Community mobilization
Community mobilization is one of the current critical and prevalent corrective issues in the United States of America. Community mobilization involves the creation of awareness and knowledge over the issue at hand so that people are warned on how to make a judgement over their behaviours and interactions with it. Community mobilization involves a number of steps that are directed at influencing the community to make decisions and assumptions within a given periphery of direction. Violence is a critical thing that has harmed the U.S. community in general. Measures to alleviate insecurity and violence involve reaching out to members of the society. Moreover, the measures are letting them come to the knowledge of the consequences and possibilities that are likely to happen when some people take a direction irrespective of the…...
mlaReferences
Clear, T.R. (2012). American corrections in brief. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage
Learning.
Farrington, D.P., & Loeber, R. (1999). Serious & violent juvenile offenders: Risk factors and successful interventions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Fleisher, M.S., & Krienert, J.L. (2003). Crime and employment: Critical issues in crime reduction for corrections. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.
Dropout rates of Latinos in U.S. And their effect on gang violence (or vice versa)
Hispanic gang violence and high school drop-out rates
Hispanic teens have the highest dropout rates of any demographic group in the United States. Gang membership amongst Latino adolescents is also increasing, rising 50% from 1999 to 2002, according to one estimate (MacDonald 2004). While rates of juvenile delinquency and gang affiliation have always been highest amongst the children of recent immigrants, the most sobering aspect of recent findings is that risk of becoming a gang member increases rather than decreases, the longer a Hispanic family remains in the U.S. (MacDonald 2004). Dropout rates for second-generation Hispanic students are higher than that for first-generation Hispanic youths, who tend to be less immersed in gang culture "a growing gang culture that offers them an identity and an outlet for their alienation, according to researchers" (We were pretty much invisible,…...
mlaReferences
Gratteau, Hanke. (1984). Study ties gangs, drop-out rates. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May
Hispanic-dominated L.A. school grapples with worst dropout rate and gang problems. (2008).
Immigration watch. Retrieved May 7, 20011 at http://jonjayray.wordpress.com/2008/08/22/hispanic-dominated-la-school-grapples-with-worst-dropout-rate-and-gang-problems/
Gang Prevention Programs in Chicago
Annotated Bibliography
ubrin, C. E. (2015). Chicago Hustle and Flow: Gangs, Gangsta Rap, and Social Class. American Journal of Sociology, 121(3), 999-1001.
According to ubrinb (2015), Chicago has stood as one of the serious places when it comes to gangsters, armed and not armed. Much has to be done to alleviate this rising crime rate; otherwise, something not good might happen. The society, especially the youth are becoming radicalized to the contents and universality of gangsters and crime. There is a need for an immediate action in the form of legal processes and programs that will end gangsters in Chicago. The author expresses the need to have stiff measures and programs, like the one on drugs control programs that will run deep into soliciting for individualized aspects of living that will end such crimes in the society (ubrin, 2015).
Binder, J. J., & Eghigian, M. (2013). Gangland illings in…...
mlaKubrin, C. E. (2015). Chicago Hustle and Flow: Gangs, Gangsta Rap, and Social Class. American Journal of Sociology, 121(3), 999-1001.
Lindsay, G. (2012). Jeanne Gang. Wall Street Journal Magazine (WSJ), 31-32.
Page, C. (2012, February 16). A virus of violence. Caribbean Business. p. 20.
Alignment helps keep both qualitative and quantitative research studies cohesive, meaningful, and valid. The purpose of the study and its implications for policy or practice should be aligned with the research questions, design, and method. Research by Forster, Grigsby, Unger, et al. (2015) illustrates the concept of alignment in a quantitative study. The research focuses on the links between exposure to violence in the community, social ties with gangs or gang members, social self-control, and aggressive behavior. Based on prior research, the authors hypothesize that exposure to violence in the community would be associated with aggressive behaviors. The authors also hypothesize that having friends or family members in gangs was positively correlated with aggressive behavior, and that lower levels of self-control were also correlated with aggressive behavior. All of these hypotheses have the same dependent variable (aggressive behavior exhibited over the past week). These hypotheses and related research questions are…...
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).…...
mlaReferences
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.
Gang Violence Prevention
Gang Violence
Study of each and every society around the world gives us a phenomenon, which indicates at a certain graph related to organized crime. American society has long been associated with such a vice, and there have been many unearths made in this direction. There has been a lot of study and research associated with fact that how these gangs formed and what is the major motivational factor behind such activities. Several studies in this regard have brought forward certain phenomenon which forms the basis of gang formations and majority of which is related to unsatisfied social structure. These gangs are formed in the societies, which are highly disintegrated and have developed into individually functioning micro units. Extensive liberalization of political policies and the general promotion of individualistic approach towards life in most countries have motivated certain individuals in direction of organized crime, and this is a growing…...
mlaBibliography
Alleyne, E., & Wood, J. (2010). Gang involvement: Psychological and behavioral characteristics of gang members, peripheral youth and non-gang youth. University of Kent. Retrieved from: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/27523/2/Gang_involvement_-_Revised2_ACCEPTED_by_Aggressive_bevhavior.pdf
Donnellan, M.B., Trzesniewski, K.H., Robins, R.W., Moffitt, T.E., & Caspi, A. (2005).Low self-esteem is related to aggression, antisocial behavior, and delinquency. Psychological Science, 16, 328-355.
Dukes, R.L., Martinez, R.O., & Stein, J.A. (1997).Precursors and consequences of membership in youth gangs. Youth and Society, 29, 139-165.
Esbensen, F-A., Winfree, L.T., Jr., He, N., & Taylor, T.J. (2001). Youth gangs and definitional issues: When is a gang, and why does it matter? Crime and Delinquency, 47, 105-130
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…...
mlaREFERENCES:
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…...
mlaReferences: 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)
violence in the public schools. Teen violence in general has become a major concern in America today. One of the reasons for the issue being so prevalent is the number of school shootings in the last few years, especially the shooting at Columbine High in Littleton, Colorado. hile the welfare of young people is always of concern, much of the fear being generated at the present time is excessive. For one thing, teen violence is not the new phenomenon many people seem to think it is, and an analysis of our history shows that violence in the schools has always been a problem and that in fact it is diminished at the present time. In truth, though, any school violence is too much, and ways of eliminating it and protecting students in school must be found. Several "solutions" to the problem have been offered.
One such recommendation is school uniforms,…...
mlaWorks Cited
Access Control & Security Systems Integration Facility Systems Staff. "Devising an effective school security plan." Access Control & Security Systems Integration (1 July 2000).
Bowman, Darcia Harris. "Federal Study Stresses Warning Signs of School Violence."
Education Week 21(15)(12 Dec 2001), 12.
Clinton, Bill. "Memorandum on the School Uniforms Manual." Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (March 4, 1996), 368-369.
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…...
mlaREFERENCES
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
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…...
mlaThe 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....
1. The Role of Revenge in Shaping Criminal Behavior
2. The Ethics of Seeking Revenge in the Criminal Justice System
3. The Psychological Impact of Holding onto Revenge in Criminal Cases
4. Revenge as a Motivating Factor in Criminal Acts
5. Exploring Revenge as a Theme in Literature and Film about Crime
6. Revenge and its Effects on Social Relationships and Community Dynamics
7. The Enduring Appeal of Revenge as a Narrative Device in Crime Stories
8. Revenge as a Form of Justice in the Eyes of the Victimized
9. The Cycle of Violence and Revenge in Criminal Acts
10. The Consequences of Seeking Revenge in Cases of Crime....
S.E. Hinton's extended narrative in "The Outsiders" challenges traditional societal norms and perceptions of teenage gang culture by humanizing the characters and showing the complexities and struggles they face. Instead of portraying the gang members as one-dimensional delinquents, Hinton delves deep into their emotions, motivations, and relationships, highlighting the importance of loyalty, friendship, and family.
By portraying the gang members as individuals with their own unique personalities, dreams, and fears, Hinton challenges the stereotype that all gang members are inherently bad or criminal. She also explores the social and economic factors that push teens into joining gangs, shedding light on the....
I. Introduction
- Definition of illegal immigration
- Overview of the impact on economies, societies, and national security
II. Impact on Economies
A. Costs of illegal immigration
1. Social services
2. Law enforcement
3. Healthcare
B. Labor market
1. Competition for jobs
2. Depressed wages
C. Taxes
1. Lost revenue
2. Burden on taxpayers
III. Impact on Societies
A. Cultural assimilation
1. Language barriers
2. Segregation
B. Social cohesion
1. Tension between immigrants and native population
2. Impact on social services
C. Crime
1. Gang violence
2. Human trafficking
IV. Impact on National Security
A. Border security
1. Drug trafficking
2. Terrorism
B. National sovereignty
1. Threats to national identity
2. Infiltration of criminal organizations
C. Public health
1. Spread of diseases
2. Lack of proper screening for immigrants
V. Conclusion
- Summary of the....
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