"Killing" the Stereotype of Gang Violence

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hoodlums, and fear. But, contrary to popular belief, gangs have not just recently appeared. Gang-related activity has affected America's cities for hundreds of years. Irish gangs are believed to be the first documented street gangs (Struyk). During the nineteenth century, the first gangs established in the United States were in New York and Philadelphia. Their cultures included the Germans, Italians, and previously mentioned the Irish. These three cultures combine to form the early gangs called the Mafia (Barbour109-110).
A proposed reason for joining gangs is the fact that many minority youth feel left out of mainstream society because they are often raised in inadequate conditions. This leads them to the idea that there are not many ways to better their lives, so they seek out places and groups where they are not marginalized. These places and groups are usually in the streets and with gangs. As stated in Gangs, "Joining a gang is usually a ritualized event. The recruit ...

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or no education. When in school, teachers try to intervene and attempt to teach the young gang members different ways to not rely on gang life. Unfortunately, their effort is often received negatively by the gang members. Gang members will become more resistant to the teacher's lesson and to school in general, resulting in the gangster feeling attacked. Efforts are needed to target youth prior to age 12 to deter attention from gang life (Barbour 76, 78).
Elementary school students who are involved in gangs usually join the gang to have a sense of belonging. These students are usually the students with behavioral problems or learning disabilities. These young people feel alienated ...

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