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The dictionary defines a gang as a group of criminals or hoodlums who band together for mutual protection and profit or can be seen as more simply as a group of people who associate regularly on a social basis. ... Today in the United States, when you hear the word gang, the term refers to typically the gangsters of urban areas. Typically referred to as thugs, gangsters, or simply gang members the visual perception is one that tends to be a minority, wears saggy urban clothing, and comes from the ghetto. ... The revenue the gang generates goes to funding further operations, social functions, buying extravagant personal items, and towards the recruitment of more members.
To understand gang recruitment we must first understand where gangs are most common and their infrastructure. ... The more difficult it is to monitor crime the easier it is to function and finance the illegal activities of a gang and thus promoting expansion and growth. ... These levels of membership indicate status within a gang and acts as the organizational maintenance systems. There are actually six levels of gang structure: leadership, hardcore, associate, fringe, and wannabes.
The leaders of a gang determines at what level of criminal activity the gang will function. Characteristics of the leaders are reflected in the day to day activities of the gang. ... The hardcore gang members are usually the older gang members, the individuals who are culturally and criminally enmeshed in the gang and are at risk of being so for life. Most of the violent activity that occurs is due in part to the hardcore gang members who seem to have a life dedication to the gang. Hardcore gang members usually make up about 10% of gang membership (Gangs 101). The associate gang member has usually made a personal commitment to the gang culture and is dedicated to achieving the level of recognition needed to attain hard core status. The fringe gang member is still able to function outside of the gang structure and has not made a commitment to a life in the criminal gang culture. This type of member drifts in and out of the gang and seems to lack direction. Wannabes are not actually gang members. They are youth who view the gang as an exciting place to be, a place where they could become "somebody". Wannabes may emulate gang dress, graffiti, hand signs, and other gang cultural symbols, and they may associate with known gang members, but they have not yet been accepted into the gang.
Gangs most commonly attract the youth and use different tactics in order to convince prospective gang members that this is what they need in life. Gang recruitment comes in a variety of forms but these five tactics are found to be the most utilized: seduction, subterfuge, obligation, cohersion, and self recruitment. ... They create glorified myths about the gang that are very attractive to young recruits, and very often these myths become the foundation for young aspirations. ... The symbols of the gang (the graffiti, hand signs, colors, tattoos, etc. ... Parties are also very useful ways for recruiters to seduce young people into the gang. ...
Subterfuge is a misrepresentation of what the gang really is and what it stands for. Recruiters use deception to convince the youth that it really isnt a gang, its a club or it is really a group of close friends that have to protect themselves against a powerful adversary which is most commonly another gang (Gang 101).
Approximate Word count = 2713
Approximate Pages = 10.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
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