Youth Gangs 1

Research Proposal

Youth Gang

“Influence and Behavior of Youth Gang”

Rosolyn R. Yancey

CJ 502 Research Methodology

Dr. Dale Brooker

September 7, 2010

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 Youth Gangs 2

Introduction

Youth gang organizations have been a major issue in the United States. Gang

organization and gang related crimes are increasing in America. The current detonation in gang

research has tinted the significance description for gang associations and gang related crime.

Youths are faced with multiplicity of social issues, in the media, in the school, on the street

corner, in the home and in the communities. Some youth deals with personal problems that

contribute to their deviant behavior, many of these problems causes’ teenagers to become

depressed and make irresponsible decisions about their life. For example, many youngsters are

being abused and neglected at home, some live in poverty and join gangs looking for a father

figure or for someone to love them, parents are divorced, and there are other reasons why

teenagers join gangs. These problems play an important role in teenagers lives; deals with how

youth choose their comrades, and how they choose the gang, they want to join.

Weiner, (1999), stated that, “when teenagers reach out beyond their home life to form

their first friendship, they place themselves in positions of uncertainty. Friendship offers

teenagers exposure to new ways of thinking and behaving” (p.16). Some teenagers are easily

influenced and others try to fit in where they do not belong. According to Cole, & Smith, (2010),

“Other factors may have played a role-violent crime by youth was most prevalent in

neighborhoods with deteriorating social and economic conditions” (p. 606).

Youth gangs are threats to people who live in the same community or area where gangs

are located. Lloyd, (2002), stated that, “Gang problems occur most prevalently in larger cities;

however, many smaller communities do experience gang activity, though often to a lesser
 Youth Gangs 3

degree. Still, though, rural and suburban communities are more likely than ever to be facing

street gang problems” (p. 47).

Many researchers believe that most of suburban and rural street gangs are home-based.

People in the community are afraid because of the violence that gang members commit. For

example, gang members have to rob or kill someone in order to become a gang member. The

issues that criminal justice systems have with youth gang are drugs, homicide, raping and killing.

“Certainly, drug use by juveniles has had a significant impact on the juvenile justice system.

From 1995 to 2004, the number of drug offense cases processed by juvenile courts increased

from approximately 75,000.00 cases per year to almost 200,000 cases” (Cole, & Smith , 2010, p.

606).

Overall, this research proposal paper will examine the influences and behaviors of youth

gang organizations as well as other juvenile organization programs that can help rehabilitate

young gang members. The findings of this research proposal paper will result from weeks of

observation and analysis of gang related books. This study is to also reduce and prevent gang

activity. How can we save our children from prisons and an early grave? What or who

influences teenagers to join a gang? Who or what persuades gang behavior? Does youth gang

originate from parents, peers, or families peer pressure? How do we recognize if a young person

is in a gang? The findings for this research proposal were drawn from readings and reviewing

second hand information (data), field research, secondary collective data, program evaluation,

secondary samplers, methods, and quantitative data.

 Youth Gangs 4

“Influence and Behavior of Youth Gang”

Literature Review

Gang members can be found anywhere in the world. There are several types of gang

members, for example, suburban gangs and street gangs. According to Takata, “Gangs are a fact of

life in today's American cities. Much attention already has been paid to gangs in large cities, but we are

beginning to realize that many smaller cities also confront serious gang problems. While we understand

some dimensions of group delinquency in large metropolitan areas, we still know very little about the

extent and nature of this problem in smaller cities and rural areas. Important details about the nature,

history, organizational structure, and activities of small-city delinquent groups are lacking” (1995).

Youth gangs are escalating in the suburban and wealth communities across the United

States. According to Korem, (1997), “First time in American history, youth gangs are forming in

persistent numbers in suburban and middle and upper middle class communities. Suburbs and

affluent communities are no longer safe havens from the gang. Since the late 1980s, kids from

upscale neighborhoods have been forming their own gangs and committing crimes” (p. 5).

Takata, (1995), stated, Gangs can be defined in a variety of ways. "A workable standard for

identifying a street gang developed by Klein (1975, p. 75) is "any denotable group of adolescents

or young adults who are (a) generally perceived as a distinct aggregation by others in their

neighborhood, (b) recognize themselves as a denotable group, almost invariably with a group

name, and (c) have been involved in a sufficient number of illegal activities to call forth a

consistent response from neighborhood residents and/or law enforcement." Researchers have

tried to define the term “gang”, but there is no acknowledged meaning for it, but most

researchers agreed that the word gang is just a group of people that share a recognizable sign,

symbol or name.
 Youth Gangs 5

Weiner, (199), stated, “Youth gangs usually express their identity through a name,

language, and symbols unique to their gang” (p. 45). Many gang members are connected to

criminal activity. According to Lloyd, (2002), “Gang members were involved in assaults,

attempted murders, murders, arson, and looting” (p. 40). Gang member’s ages range from 12 to

24 or younger. Weiner, (1999), stated, “Youth gang consist of adolescents and young adults-

usually from the ages of 12 to 25- who share a collective identity” (p. 45). According to Lilly, et

al.( 2007), stated that, “Aker’s social learning theory has been subjected to extensive empirical

testing, mostly studies where measures of social learning are used to account for self reported

delinquency. Critics of social learning theory assert that the firm association between delinquent

friends and crime is spurious. They argue that, rather than delinquent friends causing wayward

behavior, this really is a case of “birds of a feather flock together”- of delinquent kids hanging

around with one another because they share a common trait of being delinquent”(p.49).

Many youth gang members are incarcerated at an early age. Cole and Smith, (2010),

stated that, “Youth gangs pose unique problems to those making decisions in the juvenile justice

of system. Gangs are responsible for a significant amount of delinquency in communities, and

these gangs also thrive in correctional institutions (particularly adult institutions)” (p. 631).

Gangs are becoming a worldwide problem. Many young people join gangs in to receive love that

is lacking at home and other join gangs because of rage and rebellion against humanity.

According to Lloyd, (2002), “the gang fulfills a number of not-so-bizarre needs after all;

it provides a sense of family and of group membership by furnishing friends and camaraderie to

unloved and often unwanted youngster” (p. 97). Gang members are recognized by the color of

their clothes, gang signs, and graffiti, that mark their territory recognize. Violence plays a vital

role in gang member’s life. Weiner, (1999), stated that, “Violence is central to gang life. It is part
 Youth Gangs 6

of the everyday life in the gang and excessively high in gang-feasted neighborhoods and

families. Forty- six percent of the youths surveyed believe that gangs are violent and destructive,

for others, violence is ineffective and unnecessary. Forty percent of the youths surveyed asserted

that youth gang influences in their communities are more hype than reality” (pp.74-75). Some

researchers believe teenagers are under peer pressure (influenced) and made mandatory to join

gangs. “Peer pressure means being convinced, or talked about into doing or not doing something

by friends. Teenagers are being forced in a way that goes against their true feelings or values.

Groups often pressure their members to conform to the group’s ideas and desires” (Weiner,

1999, p. 21).
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Methods

This research proposal paper is supported through the findings of secondary information

reviewed from other research projects. The concepts that are under study are the violence and

deviant behaviors of young gang members. During this research project, I have reused field

methods to identify with gang member’s behavior. The methods that are used in this research

study are collected data from books and articles related to issues that youth gang are facing in the

criminal justice system; the sampler were taken from Chicago Black Street Gangs, and Suburban

Gangs which is based on the subset of the population of gang members who commits violent

crime.

Throughout the examination of youth gang, violence and behavior I have utilize samplers

of Gang members’ who ages ranges from 12 to 25. The methods that are used in this proposal are

from readings and reviewing second hand information (data), field research, secondary collective

data, program evaluation, secondary samplers, methods, and quantitative data. This research will

also focus on probability (Stratified Sampling) and non-probability (Snowball Sampling)

sampling to conduct the research proposal. In order to conduct a valid research, the researcher

must focus on gang member’s population. One type of sample that can be used in probability

sample is the stratified sampling.

Researchers can conduct probability sampling through quantitative research, which will

conduct and address every element of the population. Stratified Samplings divide the population

into sub groups such as race, gender, and education. Non-probability does not involve random

selection. One type of non- probability sample is snowballing sampling, which consists of

indentifying a target and asking for referrals. This type of sample will not be representative of
 Youth Gangs 8

gang members’ population. In order to use probability-stratified strategy for this study a

researcher can divide the country into regions to get random sample. For example, the country

can be divided into the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Hemisphere. This will allow a

representative base of youth gang members in the United States. For example, our target is not

limited to a particular area, but represents United States as a whole.

In order to select, a sample researchers used the U.S. Census Bureau to receive statistics

for gang violence activities. This bureau houses information concerning the statistic about the

population of the United States that contains the highest density areas youth gang members who

commit violence and crime. The validity did not measure to what the researchers intended,

because the scale was unbalanced during the questions of the survey, different gang members did

not all agree on certain questions. For example, Forty- six percent of the youths surveyed believe

that gangs are violent and destructive, for others, violence is ineffective and unnecessary. Forty

percent of the youths surveyed asserted that youth gang influences in their communities are more

hype than reality.

The populations of inner and outer cities gang members were observed and sampled

females just as well as male who are gang members. Even though this study used impartial

sampling because of the sampling methods, it is very important to this sampling that the odds in

this research are the factors of all components used in the survey. The research questions used in

this survey coincided with the criterion related validity check.

Researchers designated to include in the examination variables, which were used from

Aker’s Social Learning Theory. This research examines question to help solve issues among our

teenagers, such as, How can we save our children from prisons and an early grave? What or

who influences teenagers to join a gang? Who or what persuades gang behavior? Does youth
 Youth Gangs 9

gang originate from parents, peers, or families peer pressure? How do we recognize if a young

person is in a gang? Interviews were conducted from gang members who were incarcerated, in

school, in the streets, and through the media. Some gang members were asked not to reveal

their real identity.

Collective behavior was studied doing this research proposal. Many gang organizations

have the same structures and rules, which result in collective violence; gangs structures starts

with a process. The process begins with being initiated to become a member that includes

fighting, killing, or robbing an individual. People join gangs because they believe gang members

can give them love, and care for them, things they are missing from home.

According to Pope, Lovell, & Brandl (2001), stated, “Collective behavior and social

organization such as gangs share common elements, including group behavior, collective

processes, and group structure. Most research has characterized gang motives as expressive, but

Sanchez-Jankowski (1991) argued for a more instrumental orientation. On the basis of his 10

year observation of gangs in three cities, he described gangs as “formal –rational” organizations;

he contended gangs have rules, roles, and goals, and function as highly differentiated and

purposive social organizations” (pp.164-165).

According to Lily, et al, (2007), “Shaw and McKay had used the term social

disorganization to describe neighborhoods in which controls had weakened and criminal

traditions rivaled conventional intuition. In short, when growing up in a disorganized area, it is

this combination of (1) breakdown of control and (2) exposure to a criminal culture that lures

individual youngsters into crime and, across all juveniles, that creates high rates of delinquency”

(pp.40-41).
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According to U.S. Department of Justice (OJJDP, 1997), Despite limitations in quality

and uniformity, data furnished by law enforcement agencies continue to be the best available

resource for gauging the extent of youth gangs and their activities. The 1996 and 1997 samples

each consisted of more than 3,000 local law enforcement agencies and included: u A total of

1,216 police departments serving cities with populations of more than 25,000 (large cities). A

total of 662 suburban-county police and sheriffs’ departments (suburban counties) (FBI, 1995).

A randomly selected representative sample (n=397) of police departments serving cities with

populations between 2,500 and 25,000 (small cities). A randomly selected representative sample

(n=743) of rural county police and sheriffs’ departments (rural counties) (FBI, 1995).
 Youth Gangs 11

Conclusion

In conclusion, gang organizations are affecting cities and countries throughout the United

States. Many youth are becoming members of a criminal and violent organization. Many youth

join gangs for security. For example, teenagers believe that gang members can give them the

love and compassion that they are lacking from home. Teenagers are influenced by their peers

and some are threatened to join a gang. Females and males are being inducted into the gang.

Several questions are being raised about the criminal justice system related gang criminal and

violent activities. Gang organizations have their own rules and regulations that members have to

adapt to in order to become a member. Even though heinous crimes are order to carry out before

they are a gang member, many are willing to do anything to become a member.

Leaders of gang organizations recruit children who are 12 years old and up. Gangs’

members have many characteristics, which identify which gang they are affiliated with, such as

wearing colorful clothes, and tattoos. Gang members’ also so mark their territories by writing

graffiti on the on buildings and they are know by gang signs. These types of organizations

(gangs) participate in criminal activities such as, robbing, killing, kidnapping and drug

trafficking. How can we deter our youth from going to jail, dying at an early age? Do prevention

programs help our youth? Can we cease gang’s organizations? Teenagers are facing a lot of

peer pressure and it seems there is no on there to help them cope with their problems.
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References

Cole, F., G., & Smith, E., C. (2010). The American System of Criminal Justice. (12th ed.). CA:
Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Korem, D. (1994). Suburban Gangs: The Affluent Rebels. International Focus Press. Richarson,
Texas.

Lily, R. J., Cullen,T. F., & Ball, A. R. (2007). Criminological Theory: Context and
Consequences (4th ed.). London: Sage Publications.

Lloyd, J.D. (Ed.). (2002). Gangs. Greenhaven Press. San Diego, CA.

Maxfield, G. M., & Babbie, E. (2008) .Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology.
(5th ed.). CA: Thomas Wadsworth.

Pope, E., C., Lovell, R., & Brandal, G., S. (2001).Voices From The Field: Readings in Criminal
Justice Research. Wadsworth.

Takata, S.R. (1995). A Community Comparison of "Youth Gang" Prevention Strategies.

Retrieved on September 8, 2010, from
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/drugfree/v1takata.htm.

U.S. Department of Justice (1997). Highlights of the 1997 National Youth Gang Survey.
Retrieved on September 8, 2010, from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/fs9997.pdf.

Wiener, V. (1999).Winning the War: Against Youth Gangs, A Guide for Teens, Families, and
Communities. Greewood Press. London.