Download Dodge Matt Dodge English 1020 Project #3 Gangs Defined When

Matt Dodge
English 1020
Project #3
Gangs Defined
When you think of a gang do you think of a sports team, a branch of the government, or
group of delinquents that are out to raise hell? An organized group of criminals is the definition
the Oxford Dictionary uses to define a gang. This definition of a gang is not particularly
descriptive and can be seriously misleading. However, it is not the only definition to be
deceptive and is especially true when I looked at three different definitions from the National
Criminal Justice Reference Service, sociology, and psychology. Using those three definitions I
constructed what I believe a gang is. A gang is a group of three or more individuals searching for
identity, discipline, recognition, love, belonging, and money who engage in criminal activity.
This is organized and adopted by young people whose home lives feature neglect, abandonment
and various kinds of abuse and identify themselves with a common name or sign.
When a gang is defined as a group of three or more individuals who engage in criminal
activity and identify themselves with a common name or sign (The National Criminal Justice
Reference Services (NCJRS)) is not a clear cut definition at all. This actually broadens up what a
gang is depending on differing viewpoints and what that person sees as criminal activity.
According to our own Criminal Justice system in the United States of America, “Gangs affect
society at all levels, causing heightened fears for safety, violence, and economic costs,”
(NCJRS). This contradicts our own government because some branches of government have
corruption and impurities, which is criminal activity. The government also affects all levels of
society from the rich and wealthy to the homeless person on the street. While at the same time
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the decisions made by the government may lead to violence and cost the country a lot of money
that we do not have. When the Criminal Justice system can have the government classify as a
gang, it needs to be revised.
The National Criminal Justice Reference Services claim gangs only used to be found in
large cities, but can now be found in communities of all sizes. They claim a gang is defined as a
group of three or more individuals who engage in criminal activity and identify themselves with
a common name or symbol. While sociologists say gangs are an informal group of individuals
that engage in common activities, many of these activities may fall outside the law. They believe
that the main reasons youth are drawn to gangs are to achieve identity, discipline, recognition,
love, belonging, and money. The only things these two definitions have in common are that they
both state that the group’s actions may not be legal. These two definitions are not clear cut, but
together they can begin to develop a clearer cut definition.
While sociologists define a gang as an informal group of individuals that engage in
common activities, many of these activities may fall outside the law (Sociology Dictionary). This
leaves room for error because it states that the activities may fall outside the law or be considered
illegal. However, sociology is the study of groups of people and how they interact, but as a
society, we do not perceive a group of teens who obey the law as a gang. We would consider
them as responsible young adults. Sociologists have gone on to state reasons why teens would be
drawn to gangs and they are to achieve identity, discipline, recognition, love, belonging, and
money (Street Gang Dynamics). In my opinion if this group of teens were out trying to be
recognized, making money through illegal ways, and leaving their mark (graffiti) on buildings,
bridges, etc. Would be more gang affiliated because if they are following the law they obviously
have some kind of discipline at home where they are loved and feel wanted. This is not a clear
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definition either, but with some work and fine tuning could prove to be immensely useful in
defining a gang.
One website called Teen Help is designed to educate parents with techniques to better
relate to their children’s behavior; they defined what a gang was even more bluntly, which states
a gang is a formalized group of people with similar interests and goals (TeenHelp.com).
Although I grant that a gang is a group of people with similar interest and goals, I still maintain
my position that these definitions are not clear cut and need more descriptive factors and keys.
This definition could be misinterpreted in so many ways such as a sports team now under this
definition is a gang. Last time I checked a game of football, baseball, or basketball was not
illegal to participate in. However, they do go on to state that gangs have become more narrowly
defined to apply to groups that involve themselves together in criminal activity, usually of a
violent nature (TeenHelp.com). This is a key component to describing what a gang is I still feel it
needs more work. This definition is remarkably similar to that of sociologist’s definition, with
the difference being that these teens are doing illegal activity and not stating that in may be
illegal. While the NCJRS has more in common with this definition, but still leaves for
misinterpretation because it does not state what type of criminal activity which again could
classify our government.
At the same time, psychology defines a gang as surrogate families, organized and
adopted by young people whose home lives involve neglect, abandonment and various kinds of
abuse (Gangs and Crime). These can be connected to sociologist’s reasons about why
adolescents join gangs which teens are searching for identity, discipline, recognition, love,
belonging, and money. If a youth has suffered from neglect in their life they may be searching
for a sense of identity and belonging. While they may be facing abandonment or any kind of
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abuse they may turn to a gang for discipline, positive recognition, love, and a sense of belonging.
Adolescents are venerable and can be shaped to believe anything they are told, for example,
everything is your fault, or you are not good for anything. They will search for someone to tell
them that they are good enough and in most cases that is a gang.
Gangs are not new to our country. In fact, gangs started back in the colonial days when
groups of people would rob travelers at will and leave them for dead as they made off with their
newly acquired possessions (Gangs and Crime). However, they are becoming more of a problem
as the economy falls and young people turn to gangs as a sense of security. Gangs only used to
be found in big cities, but can now be found in communities of all sizes (NCJRS). Only over
time as people leave their homes in search of work and disperse throughout the country their
lifestyles move with them. In the end a new branch of this gang has now emerged with new
recruits, new members, and unfamiliar territory to protect.
I am sure we can all think of a time when we have wanted something now at that exact
moment. This is another thing that draws adolescents to gangs which is they see gang activity as
a way to earn money and material possessions quickly (The Reasons Why Kids Join Gangs).
When an adolescent has the opportunity to make more money during a robbery or a drug deal
than they do while doing chores around the house, the “I want it now” principle has never been
more appealing. Maybe, this child has been raised in a broken home and never really had any
money and are just looking for a way to help provide and a gang seems like the most logical way
to them. On the other hand, the money may just be a bonus as the child was just searching for
protection or a sense of belonging, as adolescents from wealthier families even join gangs.
I have a friend who lived in inner city Chicago for a few years and he told me about his
experience while he lived there. Imagine a young teen around the age of ten buys some drugs
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from a city’s leading gang. That gang will be after this teen in pursuit of new members and
chances are this child will feel tempted or be forced to join. Once in this gang, they cannot get
out because in more cases than none if you turn on you gang “brothers” as they say the penalty is
death.* Now imagine that is your child and think about what you would like done about this.
This is why the definition of what a gang is needs to be revised and more detailed. The service
men and women need a clearer sense of what a gang is and also so society knows that a sports
team is not a gang. It would not look good in the headlines if it read “Sports team Arrested and
Charged with Gang like Activities.”
I am saying this because I am a criminal justice major and I can see first-hand how this is
a problem. There is a lack of communication between the criminal justice services, sociologist,
and psychologist who in the end are all trying to help make our understanding of our
surroundings more clear. They should work together and formulate a less broad definition of
what a gang is so that it does not include our government or even sports teams. Looking as these
definitions they all have strong and weak points, so it would only make sense to combine them to
form one consistent definition.
With gangs expanding from inner cities out to the suburbs and beyond, it is important for
law enforcement officials to have a clear definition of what a gang is, so they know what to look
for as it is their duty to protect the people. I am sure it would not look good on a transcript
requesting a transfer is an officer has a mistaken arrest or falsely accuses a group for being a
gang when they are not. It is also important for you as a reader especially if you have children of
your own to be aware of gang like behavior and if your child is participating in similar behaviors
or even if they are not participating. You have the right to tell your child of what this behavior
looks like and how to avoid it.
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This isn't a game, or about clearing our name. It's about standing up for what's right, I'm
going to share my insight. This isn't how it has to be. We can change reality.* As gangs are
poorly defined in writing our society views a gang as a group of people with criminal activity on
their minds, which is why I believe that gang is better defined as a group of three or more
individuals searching for identity, discipline, recognition, love, belonging, and money who
engage in criminal activity. This is organized and adopted by young people whose home lives
may include neglect, abandonment and various kinds of abuse and identify themselves with a
common name or symbol.
*Representations from part of a poem I wrote about my friends experience and how he explained
it to me. It is called Child Soldiers and can be found at this web address:
http://mattdodge93.blogspot.com/2011/04/child-soldiers.html
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Works Cited:
Denese, Jennifer. "The Reasons Why Kids Join Gangs." EHow. Demand Media, 04 June 2011.
Web. 15 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.ehow.com/info_8538374_reasons-kids-join-gangs.html>.
Nawojczyk, Steve. "Street Gang Dynamics." The Coroner's Report. The Nawojczyk Group.
Web. 04 Mar. 2012. <http://www.gangwar.com/dynamics.htm>.
Newton, Michael. Gangs and Crime. Chelsea House, 2008. Print.
<http://wayne.eblib.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=366436>.
Oxford Dictionary. "Gang1 (gang)." Definition for Gang. Oxford University Press. Web. 05 Mar.
2012. <http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/gang?region=us>.
Papachristos, Andrew V., and David S. Kirk. "Studying Youth Gangs." Google Books. AltaMira
Press. Web. 05 Mar. 2012. <http://books.google.com/books?hl=en>.
Parker, Jim. "Street Gangs: The View from the Street." Do It Now! Do It Now Foundation. Web.
04 Mar. 2012. <http://www.doitnow.org/pages/178.html>.
United States. National Criminal Justice Reference Services. Gangs. 2011. Web.
<https://www.ncjrs.gov/spotlight/gangs/summary.html>.
"GANG." Definition. Social Science Dictionary. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.
<http://sociology.socialsciencedictionary.com/Sociology-Dictionary/GANG>.