The media influences in today’s society also have a profound effect on our youth. Often before many of today’s youth have developed a moral distinction between right and wrong, they are influenced by the media, such as movies, music, and magazines that are geared toward today’s youth in portraying drugs, sex, and violence as an acceptable way of life. Simply put, our youth are bombarded by all forms of media, which portrays the “glamorous lifestyle” that is led by offending lyrics in music, offensive scenes toward authority in movies, and also the many articles that detail the many “scandals” involving today’s celebrities.
But is it always the “poverty stricken” and the individual from a broken home that makes a conscience decision to become part of a violent gang? This is nothing more than another myth. Many gang members come from prominent families in their community. Their parents are hard working, and very respected within their communities. Many of these gang members come from the “traditional” family that goes on the annual summer vacation each year, has cozy, loving Christmas’s with other members of their families. “So, how do we spot this “new image” of a gang member?” There are many signs for all parents to see, but only if they have an awareness that this can happen to their child. Signs include, but are certainly not limited to, grades in school dropping, missing and or skipping school, graffiti in the child’s room, on school books and composition books, a change in the way a child dresses, such as graffiti on shirts, explicit sayings and remarks on shirts and caps, having more money or “items” that are beyond the child’s limitations, a new set of friends, and drug and/or alcohol abuse.
The Effects of Joining a Gang
There are many long term effects of joining a gang. One of the most serious is a lifetime of crime. Joining a gang has immediate and also costly results. Being in a gang jeopardizes “one’s” health, welfare and safety. A gang member’s health is jeopardized in many ways. Alcohol and drug abuse becomes a pattern for young gang members, and is likely to set a lifetime of destructive patterns that will make a productive and successful adulthood very unlikely to say the least. The chances that a gang member will ever complete school are very slim. Other risks that are involved in gang related activities are the immediate threat to the gang member’s safety, and also the member’s family’s safety because any gang member is an automatic target for rival gangs. If a gang member is fortunate enough not to become the victim of a drive by shooting , it is still very possible, and most likely for the member to be the target of rival gang assault, or at the very least become the victim of a “beating in” by members of his/her own gang.
“Beating in,” is a term used by gangs when they are inducting a new member into their gang. This beating in, is carried out by all members of the gang using powerful punches, deadly chains and many other weapons that are used on the new member of the gang. If the new member survives this beating in, it shows the gang members that this individual is tough enough to be a member of their gang. Sadly there are many cases where an individual has not survived the beating in from a gang.
For many, gang membership and involvement of gang related crimes, are often a “phase” that many of our youth today go through, sadly this phase has long term effects upon the member of the gang. Because of the member’s police record and involvement in gangs, the many employment opportunities are very limited. Often this failure to keep up with society leads the member back to a life of alcohol and drug abuse, violent crimes against society, and a life that is either abruptly halted by death to the member, or a lifetime of in and out of prison, where the ex-member creates for him or herself the “family” that they once had, and the life that once was led in mainstream society.
Graffiti, vandalism, and violence reduce property value, stifle a sense of community and create an atmosphere of distrust that may lead to further violence. For a business, the cost of painting over graffiti and repairing vandalism is passed on to the consumer by higher prices. For individuals, the cost may be too high and the graffiti and vandalized property remains an eyesore in the community and an inducement to further destructive acts. Even non-gang members who live in a community that is repeatedly subjected to gang activity become more insecure and may overreact to seemingly innocent events with inappropriate violence.
Conclusion
In order to prevent and also hinder youth from becoming part of a gang, parents, have to have at least a limited awareness of the signs that attribute to gang involvement. Dealing directly with violence is not something that the average citizen should ever do; this is why experts are trained to handle dangerous situations. However, everyone has a responsibility to overcome their lack of interest and concern, and also their own fears about such activity. It is the responsibility for all to work toward a solution in preventing gang activity, and also preventing our children from becoming part of a gang.
“Are gangs going away?” No, gangs are a part of our human psyche; we all want to feel as if we belong. And it is in our nature for us to want to be a part of a group, feel accepted by society, this is the result of many joining a gang in the first place. But we can empower ourselves with the basic knowledge of gangs, and the many violent activities that these gangs continue to place upon our society. Any gang’s power grows and establishes “roots” by intimidation and fear throughout neighborhoods all over America. This fear and intimidation can be countered by programs such as, Neighborhood Watch, and C.O.P. Citizens on Patrol. Letting the violent offender know that a neighborhood is united as one big family will greatly hinder and obstruct the efforts to spread fear and intimidation throughout the neighborhood.
Prevention is the key to controlling gang activity. Many younger members of gangs have no awareness of the realities of the violence that is associated with gang membership and most members have many illusions about the finality of death. They often believe this sort of thing only happens to other individuals who are weak, or “they’re” under the illusion that things of this nature only happen in movies. The truth and fact is that when an individual joins and becomes a part of a gang, their chances of making it, and also their chances of living a long life decreases dramatically.
