Response to Gangs, Guns: Who's at risk?

I'm glad that I finally found an article that wasn't going shootings or some type of crime. I wanted to find an article that talked about gangs in general and how they affect people. Although this was a little different than I was going for, I'm glad that I stumbled across it. The article talked about what type of things drive children (especially boys) into joining gangs. I think that this article was really helpful, and will help my presentation stronger. Although I haven't experienced being in a gang, or all of these different contributors, I agree with that they said. I feel as if I had to deal with abusive parents, a rough neighborhood, and poor performance in school, I would end up making bad decisions. All of the factors seem to be legit and potentially could cause someone to join a gang. I think that living in a neighborhood where there's a high crime rate and a lot of gangs, that that would make the biggest influence on a person. To grow up with all of that around you, and witness it...you'd seem as if you might as well get into it. If children are joining gangs because of their parents, something is wrong. Parents need to be parents, not neglect their kids or be abusive to them. I understand that there are special cases where parents have problems, but if kids are joining gangs just because their parents don't bother to spend time with them...they need to smarten up. It's not worth it for a child to go out and be a part of a group that's extremely dangerous and break the law. Overall, I'm glad that I found this article. It gave me good information about what could drive people into gangs. I think it's very helpful.

#10- Gangs, Guns: Who's at risk?

Gangs are very prominent in many countries and are quickly becoming a scare to the Caribbean. Many islands have seen a large spike in gang violence over the past few years and this helped the country's murder rate go higher. The counseling center stated, "As the casualties grow, the question must be asked- why are so many young men becoming gang members? Who is at risk?"

There are many personal factors that help contribute to young people joining gangs. One of them is low self-worth. It's said that youth who lean towards gangs usually have low self-esteem which could be caused by many different things such as parents who are neglectful, absent, or abusive, poverty, lack of life skills, and bad performance in school. Being involved with gangs sens powerful and give a sense of love and companionship to those who feel weak in various areas of life. Another personal factors is the lack of positive life goals. Also it's said that boys who end up in gangs, don't do well in school and have little to no ambition to go forward with schooling or a career. "Unlike the high-school graduate who dreams of going away to college or securing a good job, the prospective gang member is left with few meaningful opportunities and goals, and a sense of hopelessness about the future," stated Jeweleen Manners-Woodley.

School factors also play a role in the decision to join gangs. Kids who often perform poorly at school, lose all motivation and might drop out or become expelled. Without education, their chances of getting a job are slimmer and they gain the sense of underachievement. Families are also a leading contributor. Poor parenting and lack of involvement are very common. When parents are abusive, neglectful, or don't spend the time to help their children become positive citizens, it's hard and can drive kids away. Parents who also act as bad role models by using violence or criminal behavior, can also push youth towards gangs. Unstable home environments where there might be fighting, physical/sexual/or emotional abuse, aggressive behavior and street living can all enhance the livelihood of children joining gangs.

Other leading factors deal with communities that have a high crime rate and a large presence of gangs. Young adults who live in these areas are more likely to join gangs, whether it be by wanting to, or being forced into it. Other contributors are access to firearms and poverty. These play a part in children joining gangs.