Joining a Gang: A Necessity for Some

• In Event: Roundtable: Juvenile Justice, Schools, and Family

Abstract

Choosing whether one will join a gang is a complex process. It comes with changes that can lead some not to get involved, while those who participate from a young age usually join in adolescence.
When discussing gang membership, it is expected that society will say that individuals join a gang for mischief. Yet, many forget that some join gangs for necessities outside of their control. The necessities can vary from various causes such as loss of parents, being kicked out of their home, parental abandonment, economic reasons, violence, alcohol, and drug abuse by parents, among many other reasons that can push an individual to attempt to escape the reality they are facing at home. The various perspectives of gangs lead some to see gang members as something lethal that shouldn't exist in our society; for others, a gang family provides them with a sense of belonging, where love and affection are provided, especially when they aren't able to find in other places such as their own family, or their communities.

Author

• Valerie Dagnino, California State University, San Marcos