Are young people forced to join gangs,or is it really a personal choice issue?

Question

do they join because of other people or in spite of other people?

Answer 1

Lots of people say it's because of peer pressure but that only applies to the people who feel so insecure about who they are.
Lots of people are confidant with who they are. These people don't feel pressured into following the flock

Answer 2

As a young man (17 years old) I think I can answer this question more correctly than older people, for I see street gangs and clans every day. I am not In any of them, because violence doesn't seem to be a good way of communication. There are mainly 4 reasons for young people joining gangs :
1. The will for power.
2. Influence of friends
3. Forced
4.Fear factor (this one will be further explained)

FEAR FACTOR
You see,many times gangs like to hurt people with no reason excerpt the feeling of being stronger. This people, then turn to the police, which just makes the problem worse. Gangs want to revenge for their problems with laws,and the whole situation becomes a never-ending loop. This people then try to fing protection in other gangs.

Answer 3

Yong people feel part of life connecting to some thing weather it is music gangs fashion don't blame them government don't do enough for them well not in the areas were it counts they are repairing damage done not preventing it in the first place example a young person does something wrong he is placed on a program of correction YOT ASBO Community service all sorts of things but if the young person had things to do would there be so much trouble a favourite past time of a youth is sitting talking to a Friend he meets in a street having a nice chat next thing police come move it usually with a attitude so wear can they go to do the most natural thing in the world Dave

Answer 4

I am not sure but I think anyone who joins a gang does so because they want to. A lot of times you are in the wrong place at the wrong time and you can get caught up in things, but actually joining a gang is your choice, if you weren't hanging around, then there wouldn't be any false assumptions as to what your intentions were.

Answer 5

It would be very difficult to say they were forced, but from what I can see it's often very difficult to say no. There are many documented reasons why someone would join a gang (usually, these are dependent on socio-economic reasons, reasons of safety etc.), but the main motivation is the desire to form part of a group.

Gangs have a reputation in a negative sphere because the word is used to describe groups of antisocial young people who intimidate, vandalise and often criminalise areas, yet 'gangs' are not necessarily a bad thing. The difference is that the groups of youngsters do not have anything to bind them together intellectually - they are not hanging out with people who share interests, or who offer them challenges; they're hanging out because they're bored, frequently poor, and to not form part of the gang can often be construed by other members as a sign of disrespect (if young children can really share respect amongst their peers, that is).

In South London, where I live, there appear to be hundreds of gangs - notably, gangs of young people who seem to be drawn together in numbers because of their heritage (there are gangs of Somalis, gangs of Asians, gangs of skinheads) - I often wonder if they choose this segregated approach through fear, or if it's just inate within young people to establish themselves amongst people who they find it easy to judge themselves against.

No matter what, however, it's about time that someone tried their best to support these gangs. They exist, and to try and disband them only makes them more appealing to people who can use such institutions for criminal ends (and I'm thinking mainly about drug dealers here). Local communities & the Government have to try and establish a framework in which, first, these gangs can exist in a safe and controlled environment and secondly, wheere they can learn a fuller integration with the wider world.

Answer 6

Depends what you mean by "gang" and "forced" nobody wants to be the loser kid when they are young, so you will try and make your way into the popular gang and if you can't manage that there is always the less popular gangs. Just think of those high school movies where you have the jocks, brainy kids, goths etc school is still kind of like that

Answer 7

My guess is they are weak minded, and join in when influenced.

Then hardships also might lead a young person toward a gang.

Maybe a combination of both would make young people want to join a gang.

Strong willed people can avoid traps that life sets up for us.

Answer 8

Street gangs go back a long way. See a Wm.Shakespear play, Romeo and Juliet and you'll see what I mean. There's a modern version of the same story, set in 1940s Newyork, its called, West Side Story. It's all about street gangs, turf wars and all that jazz.

Answer 9

Blame the government's policy on discipline. Parents can't discipline their children without being threatened with imprisonment, school teachers can't do it without being served with litigation papers, clergymen can't do it for fear of being accused of child abuse.
The only people who are given the power to do it are the police, and guess what, the only way they believe discipline can be served is by sending youngsters to jail and they come out as gangsters recruiting other innocent children in the community into the clan of crime.
The government should give power to discipline back to parents and teachers including the religious leaders, and then provide leisure amenities for the children in the community which they can use to build up a sociable lifestyle rather than choosing to be jumping on other people's car's, throwing fire into letter boxes and causing vandalism in the community because they have absolutely nothing else to do to to brighten up their life.

Answer 10

gangs. i think kids join because they have nothing else, may be bored, need to feel protected or tough in their lives. if there are gang members running around all over your city, wreaking havoc, maybe people would rather join them than be victimized by them. personally, i find the whole idea ridiculous...just absolutely ridiculous. wearing a certain color, victimizing people, needing your friends to back you up all the time...what does that make you?

Answer 11

Depending on the enviroment they live in, eg council estates in run down area,s. They feel it,s safer to be in a gang for protection from other gangs. In more prosperous area,s you do not find the gang culture.