Urban youth gangs
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Urban youth gangs have been in existence since Colonial times. Classic works demonstrate a historical perspective of the nature of early gangs, however, gang literature since the 1960s is scarce (Fox, 1985). Berland, Homlish, and Blotcky (1989) report that gangs commonly form during adolescence. Group membership beyond adolescent years is considered organized crime or being gangsters. It is estimated that one-fifth of adolescent boys in a community of 10,000 or more, belong to groups with activities such as drinking, drug use, disorder, theft, and felonies. Gangs are made up of approximately 1.5 million members in the 2.100 American cities with populations of 10,000 or more. The Los Angeles Police Department states that Los Angeles has more violent gangs than any other city in the United States; 400 different gangs are reported with approximately 60,000 gang members. These gangs are made up of Hispanics (58 percent), African Americans (37 percent), Asians (3 percent), and whites (2 percent. Ages 15 to 21 are considered the peak years for involvement in violent gangs. Studies show the average gang age to be 16.8 years; ages 12 to 14 are considered to be the best target for recruitment into gangs. Gang members usually range from ages 10 to 30, with most being between 14 years and 24 years of age (Hutson, Anglin, & Pratts, 1994; Palmer & Tilley, 1995). Scheidlinger (1994) reports the definition of gangs, from Campbell's Psychiatric Dictionary, as
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flict, and planning, with a development of tradition, unreflective internal structure, group awarement, and territorial attachment. Gangs tended to form on borders between settled and unsettled city areas (Berland, Homlish, & Blotcky, 1989).
Psychologically it is stated that gang membership tends to occur during developmental phases between childhood and adulthood. This is a time when there is disruption with regard to self-identity, establishing trustworthy relationships, and finding a vocation. It is suggested that groups anchor and assist members during the transition from family member, to adult autonomy and independence (Berland, Homlish, & Blotcky, 1989).
Today's gangs are more loose-knit, short-lasting, and pack-like; group psychology is replaced with crowd psychology to understand developmental implications. Inner-city areas comprises a series of small crowds of boys over the age of 14. Psychological explanations of gang formation include that these packs form out of primitive regression and defenses such as projective identification and splitting. Meaningful affective ties and group structures are not found. Group members lose any sense of individual self-awareness, responsibility, or empathy toward others. As w
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1542
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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