The Gang Issue of America Essay - 2255 Words

Gangs are very dangerous to everyone in society. â€Å"Gangs are groups of people (mostly young males) who band together for protection and a sense of belonging. The U.S. Department of Justice officially defines a youth gang as a group of young people involved in criminal activity† (Gangs 1). About one million gang members are in more than 20,000 criminally active gangs in the United States. Also, that group of about one million people is accountable for up to eighty percent of our nation’s crimes. Since 2005, gangs have nationally added about 200,000 members to the already high total (Targeting Gangs 1). This is why more action from the community needs to be taken to help with the growing gang-related crimes here in America. Additionally,†¦show more content†¦Another item that a lot of gang members have is at least one tattoo that shows his or her dedication to his or her gang. Most gangs initiate their new member by giving them a tattoo that all other gang m embers will recognize for that particular gang. The effects that gangs have on communities are massive, especially since gangs contribute to about eighty percent of our nations crimes. Gangs tear apart communities and disrupt schools. This is due to violence, carrying weapons, drug use or distributing drugs, and even their clothing. Communities are affected because gangs influence their members and other people into using or distributing all different types of drugs. Not only drugs, but the easy access to deadly firearms makes gangs much more intimidating and dangerous to our society. Not only the inner city has gangs, they can also be found in the suburbs and rural areas as well. Different reasons account for why young people join gangs in the beginning. Some reasons would include a very unstable home or family life, the need for protection, or poverty. If the person is in poverty he or she thinks that he or she needs to join a gang to be able to make fast money by doing crimes, su ch as drug dealing and theft. Young people could join a gang due to a family tradition, joining out of peer pressure, or wanting to be more attractive to members of the opposite sex. Another few reasons whyShow MoreRelatedSociety’s Needs for Criminal Justice Practitioners Essay1046 Words   |  5 Pageschaos. Some of the main social issues our society faces are drug abuse, gang violence, child abuse, and terrorism. The criminal justice practitioners face these types of issues daily. These professionals must act on the morals and laws stated by society rather than their own opinions, sometimes facing hard decisions. The criminal justice field is always active and busy, dealing with countless amount of criminal activity throughout the country. Drug abuse affects America severely. 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