Why+do+Teens+Join+Gangs?

Katy Tincher

Why Do ** Teens ** Join Gangs?

*English research paper assignment As the world turns and society changes, our civilization is challenged with many new issues with each rise and set of the sun. These issues could be hot-topics like the economy or the housing market, but for some it goes much deeper, further underground. Today young teens are faced with issues like “when is my next meal?” or “where will I sleep tonight?” In order to solve these taunting questions they turn to gangs. Teens today go to these groups because they want a family that they don’t have at home, for protection, or simply because they’re forced in without choice.

Most commonly, teens become gang members to fill their need to belong (Aufiero). Some teens join gangs to feel accepted because they may not have a close relationship with their family at home, they might not have any home life to begin with, or may have been abused by their parents or someone else back in their past. They might also just be scared of people in general. So they join gangs in an attempt at payback to all those who ignored them as a way of saying "look at me now." These teens want people to be afraid of them, or respect them, so they don’t feel that fear anymore, or so they can do to others what has been to them. It's the old "eye for an eye" philosophy. Unfortunately, many of them end up getting back at the wrong people. Teens don’t necessarily have to have a bad family or home life to want to join. Gangs are looked to for protection, loyalty and a sense of identity (Aufiero). The protection a gang offers to a young adult could vary depending on the situation. For some it could be the community they live in. If a teenager lives in a bad neighbor hood because of the gang itself, they might want to join the gang to make sure that they’re on the inside with no worries of those people jumping the teen for sport. Another type of protection could be from a rival gang that fights their “war” against the local gang and the teen doesn’t want to be alone when they come tearing through. Not every reason a young adult chooses to join a gang is necessarily a choice. Teens are often forced to join gangs to participate in drug sales (Wooldridge), missions, etc. When a gang is starting to become well known in a community and the faces of their members are easily recognized, they need fresh-meat to remain conspicuous. The teen is often threatened by beatings or death to join. The matter may not be as brutal though, there might be close family involved and force their child to be “blessed in” (simply being inserted into a gang without a sort of “trial”) depending on the rank of the family member. Today th e view point of becoming a gangster has many forms. For some it’s just a joke, but others it is a very serious life-or-death matter. Teens have many choices to make in life and the influence of these groups is becoming greater and more prevalent everyday. Teens today go to gangs because they want a family that they don’t have at home, for protection, or simply because they’re forced in without choice. Life may seem harsh, or unfair to you, but just imagine trying to live this life style, knowing everyday is another battle to survive.

Aufiero, Barbara. "Reasons Teenagers Join Gangs." //eHow.com//. eHow, 23-1-11. Web. 13 Apr 2011. []. Wooldridge, Frosty. "The War On Drugs Good For Teens?." //rense.com//. rense.com, 7-26-07. Web. 13 Apr 2011. .