why do you think some people join gangs?

Question

explain the possible reasons, benefits, if any.do you think gangs are similar to terrorists, who hate rivals or anyone, not in their group? also what is your first impression of someone, whom you see throwing gang signs/making letters with their fingers??

thanks.

once they join, there's no way out, it's do or die? so they have to stay until they're middle aged or even older or there's retirement? I'm curious as to what people in the law enforcement field think about gangsters.your thoughts?

Answer 1

I think people join gangs for more reasons than can even be listed in one post, but I'll try:

1) For survivial (if you don't join, you'll get the beat down or death)
2) For financial reasons (if you're p**s poor and you see gangstas with a wad of money and you haven't fully witnessed the hustle behind that, the brutality behind that, the terror (fear of leaving it ) behind that (yet) and your're young and impressionable and blind to the nine-to-fivers who are making money and paying bills but no sense of excitement and rationalizing responsible adults as being "punked by the system" some sort of way.
3) For a sense of family - Young people who are ophaned or painfully neglected and/or abused seek solace, a sense of a safe haven or safe space. Gangs give this illusion of "family" and "brotherhood", when it really is a "all about me" social structure, otherwise there wouldn't be gang members becoming moles and ratting out their brothers to save their own hides (for now). There is no true brotherhood or family, when it's all said and done.
4) For a sense of purpose - People who are attracted to this lifestyle view it as their reason for living, occupies their time, and to see people fear them and step aside feeds their egos and make them feel like they have some worth. (If you're feared, at least that places you on someone's radar screen, in the same way that celebrities do bad things to get the paparazzi to follow them!)
5) Delusions of grandeur - I think this reason explains the phenomena of a lower middle to middle-class getting involved in gang warfare; specifically a middle-class kid with a decent family to go with that decent economic background. Every kid in a gang is not poor and starving. To me, this sector is what makes people truly shake their heads and ask, 'Why?"

Are they like terrorists? I imagine if you're an everyday citizen who has felt the wrath of gangs or a stray bullet, you would say, "Hell, yeah!" (You know that's another thing that incenses me! They hardly ever get their target (a rival gang member) before they've missed the mark and gotten innocent bystanders!! Why? Because they're aiming from how many yards away and driving by in cars 9 times out of 10! They're posturing cowards who fear each other and aiming all over high heaven because they won't get up close enough to even know they've got the right person. (I don't condone violence at all, but how many times do we have to bury children and young adults who weren't even on their contention list!) Meanwhile, people are finding shells of bullets in the shingles of their rooftops and in the legs, arms, backs, and whatnot of their children...the ones who had been going to school, planning a future, planning to be somebody, sitting on their porch minding their own business, playing in a park minding their own business, on a bus....minding their own business!

Oh, and what do I think when I see people throwing up gang signs? I think, if they're not really a gang member, I hope they know who they're frontin' to represent. I think, if they are a gang member, oh well, and I keep my hands to myself and go on about my business. Most of the time when I've seen signs being thrown up, they haven't struck me as authentic representation, and it's sad enough that there are even gang signs to mimic, but it's even more sad when you are the mimicker.

Answer 2

I have known a few people who were/are in gangs. One reason for them joining was because they felt that this gang was their family. They may have come from a poor neighborhood, a dysfunctional family ex. no father figure in the household, and sometime they may not even be from the country they are in, thus they seek out others with the same background and cultures.
This would explain the intense loyalty that they display and feel towards their gang. Since the gang is their family they will do whatever it is they need to do to protect their family (other gang members), and belongings/homes (turf).
Most of the gang members are initiated when they are young, they are more impressionable at this stage. The older gang member you see they are still in because the gang and its lifestyle is all they know.
I personally dont agree with gang member throwing out their signs at every chance they can get ex. pictures. But this is their form of letting the world know that "This is me, this is who I am"
Its a shame that many gang member feel that they need to harm and kill each other, but unfortunately this is the mentality and the nature of the modern day gang beast

Answer 3

I think (and have heard from people in gangs) that most join for 2 reasons. 1 is that that is the lifestyle they were raised in. That was what their neighborhood was like and that's what they saw, so that's what they did. #2 is to gain acceptance and a feeling of love. Many kids do not get the attention or love they need at home and they get it from the gang instead. I don't think they are like terrorists. Gangs fight each other over money and turf, they don't kill innocent people because they believe differently than they do, not on purpose anyway(I know stray bullets kill sometimes). Lastly, I think they look stupid and ignorant when they throw up signs.

Answer 4

People want a group of friends who understand them and will do anything for them. It is like a stronger Frat. They know there gang brothers will back them up in anything. That is the only benefit. Some people join them to get drugs/alcohal/guns. Gangs want to be respected so they throw signs up and wear special signs.

Answer 5

Some people join gangs in order to survive.

When I see gang signs, I move away in much the same way as I do when seeing a dog on the loose, foaming at the mouth.

Answer 6

One reason is having some sort of family, when their own family life is non existent, they are seeking out a place of family, a place where they are accepted, and I guess feel loved. That becomes their world.
When I see someone that I think are gang members, I feel sorry for them, but in the same breath I'm very Leary of them, and wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them!

Answer 7

People who join gangs are usually in very poor financial state and/or live in poor neighboorhoods. With neighboorhood that is full of violence and corruption, young kids join gangs to survive. To have 'back'. you could compare them to political groups in palestine, who are killing one another for power, gangs do the samething on a smaller scale. I dont care if any1 throws gang signs, every1 does it these days when they're taking pictures and stuff.


P.S.: Dont join a gang.

Answer 8

I enjoy the south american gang sport of buzz-kashee which involves the rowdy persuit of a goat carcass whilst on horseback, and some cheap lubricant (linseed oil is fine).
People who join gangs are insecure, trend following bullies who would no more tackle a distressed wildebeeste than you or I. I personally wouldn't trust them as far as I would get them to purchase a curly-wurly for a walrus.

Answer 9

some people join gangs because they are forced too. here in uk there was a shooting of several young men by a gang because they didn't want to join,
many will join gangs because they are too scared of what will happen to them and their loved ones if they don't. eventually they get warped into it

Answer 10

Mainly, protection and to get a feeling of a family.