Essay Sample on Gangs Formation in America

Introduction

Gangs formation in America can be attributed to the lower-class culture that sets the stage for culture conflicts since the various norms that are learnt in the lower-class setting are different from those that come from the dominant middle-class culture. Formation of gangs in the African-American community has been attributed to poor cultural settings. Bursik and Grasmick state that gangs arises in settings where the networks of social control are ineffective (Bursik & Grasmick, 2002). The gangs have then caused a lot of chaos which has led to insecurities as well as stereotyping by the police. This stereotyping has led to the killing of innocent black individuals by the police as well as harassment as they attribute the blacks with crime and violence (Whitehill, Webster, Frattaroli & Parker, 2014). The gangs have also made it unsafe for an individual to walk or even conduct business in a neighborhood that he or she does not come from.

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Theories of Neighborhood Crime

According to the theories of neighborhood crime, crime and delinquency is a group phenomenon (Bursik, 2008). These theories cannot explain gang membership in places such as Los Angeles. However, there are factors that can be attributed to the lower-class high crime levels such as lack of solid cultural setup hence the youths engage in risky activities looking for trouble especially in the remote and rural areas where the law enforcement agencies have limited access. The other factor is toughness which makes young people fearless hence people feel that they have the ability to handle themselves. There are also street smarts who try to outwit others hence leading to the formation of gangs that lead to violence. Excitement is another factor that leads to thrill-seeking behaviour. The individuals involved also believe in fete hence they assume that they have no or little control over the different forces that shape their lives (Bursik, 2008).

Crips and Bloods

This documentary provides the basis of gang formation through the examination of the formation and rise of Blood and Crips gangs in the United States of America. From the film, we can clearly see that there are external factors that cause the black population especially the youths to join gangs as well as questions the political setting and the response of the law enforcement response towards the rise of the gang culture.

Factors for Gangs Proliferation

There are numerous factors that have led to the proliferation of gangs in America. These reasons cannot be isolated but play as a pool together to increase the rate of gang formation. Some of the most prominent factors that has been emphasized in the documentary 'Crips and Blood' include; organizational neglect, police stereotyping of African-Americans, loss of employment, drugs, isolation and segregation of some groups of people, single parenthood and smaller families, lack of opportunities due to poverty, economic restructuring, and the normalization of the gangs by the youth culture.

Organizational Neglect

The documentary interviews various former members of the two gangs who express their concerns as they were turned away from youth organizations like the Explore Scouts of America and the American Boy Scouts. This is because the African-American youths are neglected from the prominent white organization hence they are not able to develop a sense of identity. The gang culture was then the only option which gave the youth a special appeal who lacked a sense of identity and belonging. The gang culture also got roots from the competition that existed between the different neighbourhood cliques. The gangs also were able to fight against white groups that caused chaos in black neighborhoods. The groups, therefore, offered a sense of safety for the young black men.

Police Stereotyping of African-Americans

The Los Angeles Police Department was dominated and headed by whites who stereotyped all African-Americans due to the criminality activities of a few black individuals. The police, therefore, used hardline approaches to gang violence instead of social work to quell the violence. This move aggravated the gangs more hence they tried to strengthen their base.

Loss of Employment, Segregation and Poverty

Due to segregation of the black community, there was a lack of employment which led to poverty among the African-Americans who formed gangs so as to get involved in crime, violence and drugs to earn a living. The blacks did not have knowledge, skills or education to perform high paying technological jobs as a result of historical discrimination and also the lack of opportunities.

Drug Trade and Single Parenthood

The introduction of crack cocaine tore apart most of the African-American family institutions which became dysfunctional. Children grew in a single parent family without a father figure hence turned into gangs.

Gangs in Rural Settings

The theory of gangs as the carriers of criminal and delinquency can be used to explain gang formation in rural areas such as Chandler. Gangs are now being formed in rural areas due to the structural characteristics of the rural regions that have factors for the formation of gangs. The activity of these groups has become widespread in the rural setting since these areas have less law enforcement as compared to urban areas (Short Jr, Rivera & Tennyson, 2005). The lack of structured social institutions and regulations in rural areas has also encouraged gang activity as the increased number of school-aged children join them.

Conclusion

Gangs are formed in settings where the social networks are ineffective which encourages favorable environment for these groups to thrive. The main factors contributing to this problem include; organizational neglect, police stereotyping of African-Americans, loss of employment, drugs, isolation and segregation of some groups of people, single parenthood and smaller families, lack of opportunities due to poverty, economic restructuring, and the normalization of the gangs by the youth culture. Currently, gangs' activities are being experienced in the rural setting due to structural characteristics of these areas such as lack of law enforcement agencies and involvement of school-aged children.

References

Bursik Jr, R. J. (2008). Social Disorganization and Theories of Crime and Delinquency: Problems and Prospects. Criminology, 26(4), 519-552.

Bursik Jr, R. J., & Grasmick, H. G. (2002). Neighborhoods & Crime. Lexington Books.

King Jah, (2016). Crips and Bloods Made In America. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNSX8qZeSxc/

Short Jr, J. F., Rivera, R., & Tennyson, R. A. (2005). Perceived Opportunities, Gang Membership, and Delinquency. American Sociological Review, 56-67.

Whitehill, J. M., Webster, D. W., Frattaroli, S., & Parker, E. M. (2014). Interrupting Violence: How the Cease Fire Program Prevents Imminent Gun Violence through Conflict Mediation. Journal of Urban Health, 91(1), 84-95. Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/2011/11/01/141803766/interrupting-violence-with-the-message-dont-shoot/