Gang Warfare

All through history, gangs have been in existence. These gangs or youth groups have had many negative effects on society for many years. These youth groups or gangs, as they are commonly called, have participated in many criminal and illegal acts that have plagued society. They have been stereotyped with such negative names as bad kids, trouble makers, rowdies and many other mischievous names. Some of the earliest records of gangs date back to the fourteenth and fifteenth century in Europe. Some of the activities that these youths had been recorded as partaking in have been theft, robbery, extortion and rape. They do many types of vandalism to the city.

Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in today's cities. They are a direct result of human being's personal wants and peer pressure. By looking at the way humans are influenced in society, I believe there is a good evidence to point the blame at several institutions. These include the forces of the media, the government, drugs and our economic system. On the surface, gangs are caused by peer pressure and greed. Many teens in gangs will pressure peers into becoming part of an gang by making it all sound glamorous. One of the ways that children do things that are bent so that gang violence becomes more acceptable is the influence of television and movies. Many shows on television today are extremely violent and are often shown how contaminated that gangs are living. However, to a child this portrays a violent gang existence as acceptable. Many shows where the "good guy" captures the "bad guy" through violence and is then being commended. A child sees this a perfectly acceptable because he knows that the "bad guy" was wrong but had no idea of what acceptable techniques are. Once this mentality is installed in youngsters they become increasingly prone to being easily pushed into a gang situation by any problem at home or elsewhere. For instance, in poor families with many children or upper-middle class families where parents are always working, the children will often feel deprived of love. Parents can often feel that putting food on the table is enough love. Children of these families may often go to the gang firstly out of boredom and to belong somewhere. As time goes on, a form of love or kinship develops between the gang members and the child. It is then that the bond between the kid and the gang is completed because the gang has effectively

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