Turn To Gangs example essay topic

Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in cities of every size. Gangs are not a new phenomenon in America. Mainly youths, have banded together for reasons ranging from protection to those who just want to occupy time, fill emptiness in their lives, or experience some sense of belonging. Whatever the reason, when gang emerges communities almost always suffer the consequences. With the widespread popularity of gangs in the recent years, it seems as though no city has been left untouched by their violence and corruption. There are many social factors that may contribute to why kids may find it so glamorous to join a gang.

One of these social influences comes from television and movies. Children are fascinated by the blood and gore that they see through the media. When adults see violence on television, we look past all the blood and concentrate on the pain that the victim must feel. Children do not have that same connection. emotionally they become immune to the violence and it becomes acceptable. Once the idea that violence is an acceptable behavior has been instilled in the minds of these young children, they become increasingly prone to being easily pushed into a gang situation.

Society has allowed the media to portray violence as a norm which in turn produces children who feel that their actions are justifiable because they saw it in a movie. TV, movies, music and video games all contribute to the desensitizing of human life and human worth. Another social factor of why kids choose to join gangs is because they are lacking parental guidance and love. We live in a society where both parents have to work outside of the home. We leave these children at h ome unsupervised and neglected.

Often times, it is the children who feel neglected that turn to gangs to find some sense of belonging. Itr is these children who feel deprived of attention and love that allow gangs to take the place of their family. It almost seems as though parents feel that putting food on the table is enough to raise a child. One scary statistic that I read reports that gang affiliation begins around seventh or eighth grade. Peer pressure at this age is so strong and gangs offer these children the support that they need to deal with it. An insecure kid that joins a gang suddenly finds himself to be the center of attention. lack of parental involvement ina child's life creates a bid that children would do anything to fill, even if it meant turning delinquency to gain the attention.

The third social factor that I want to address is peer pressure. Peer pressure is not discriminatory. It happens to everyone, in every city and school. Our culture emphasizes the standards set by others. The pressure to conform to our surrounding is evident with every decision we make. To some, being in a gang means you have a higher social status.

You are respected by everyone, as well as feared by everyone. There are certain areas of our world where joining a gang may be the only way to suri vie. People in low rent areas are most often being repressed due to poverty and sometimes even race. Peer pressure is what pushes many people to make choices, even when they know that their decision may not be in their best interest. I believe that each of us needs to responsibility for our own children and make them a priority. We need to keep informed of our children's activities, and more importantly keep open communication with them.

I feel that if our kids know we love them unconditionally, it may raise their self-esteem enough to say, "It's okay if I don't conform". Maybe then our children will be able to reject the propaganda of gang members and make choices based on values and what is right.