The Rise of Youth in Gangs

Sohm, J. (n.d.). Children holding signs at anti-gang community march, East Los Angeles, California [Photograph]. Shutterstock. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/children-holding-signs-antigang-community-march-270053915

Civic Engagement

    Civic pertains to a community/its member, and engagement refers to the involvement of the said community in response to something. What is that something? According to The American Psychological Association, civic engagement is an "individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern." So, it is a response to a community’s issues, but this definition does not clarify what collective actions can address them. Youth.gov explains further, stating that civic engagement involves "working to make a difference in the civic life of one’s community and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.” In other words, proactive action is collectively made from various disciplines. It is as simple as plastering boards with crucial messages or emailing a representative. As for me, civic engagement entails proactively helping a community. 

[Untitled photograph of a street]. LHBALA. https://www.lhbala.org/explore/getting-around/

How Has My Community Been Affected?

    I have noticed an increase in gang affiliation among the youth—my younger brother being one—in my neighborhood, Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles. Crimes have increased, such as homicide and property crimes, and heightened fear among Latino mothers whose sons are more inclined to join a gang. Admittedly, the term “gang” is not definitive, but generally, it can be described as “a community of persons (adolescents, young adults or adults) who share a common identity, who regularly interact in small or large groups, and take part in criminal and/or violent activities" (Fleury & Fernet, 2012). According to Mccarthy & Martin (2003), gangs often appear in neighborhoods troubled by social and economic disadvantages that see concomitant “high rates of school dropout, teen pregnancy, [and] public health problems.” Lincoln Heights is a predominantly low-income neighborhood, with the average household income being $51,076 (Census Bureau, 2020). Additionally, 72.2% of 18–24 year-old residents have not completed high school (Census Bureau, 2020), possibly due to dropping out. Lincoln Heights fits the bill of a gang-prone neighborhood as described by Mccarthy & Martin (2003). According to my gang-affiliated brother of 4 years, Lincoln Heights has 4 gangs: Lincoln Heights, Happy Valley, East Lake, and East-side Clover. It is uncertain how many gang members there are, especially if they are adolescents. However, it is likely gangs are mainly comprised of adolescents as a national cohort study shows that “[f]or every 401,000 youth who join [gangs], another 378,000 youth exit gangs each year [in the U.S.A]” (Pyrooz & Sweeten, 2014).

[Untitiled online image]. Crosstown. https://products.xtown.la/map

Gang-Affiliated Crimes

    The most common type of crime committed by gangsters “are drug sales, theft, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and robbery” (Mccarthy & Martin, 2003). According to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, from January 2022 to October 2022, Lincoln Heights had 958 documented crimes, with 556 of them being “property crimes,” such as bike theft and burglary (Crosstown, n.d.). A stark difference compared to 2017 data that reports 1446 documented crimes, with 857 being “property crimes.” Overall Crime has declined but hardly enough for notable change. However, it cannot be guaranteed all the crimes are gang affiliated. 

Motivations & Change

What motivates the youth to join gangs? The most common motivation includes “camaraderie,” protection from other gangs, “access to drugs and alcohol,” and “monetary opportunities through illegal markets” (Mccarthy & Martin, 2003). Youth in gangs are exposed to violence, drugs, and abuse. I saw it firsthand with my brother, who turned to alcohol and smoking at the age of 13; shortly after joining his gang. Moreover, he is in constant danger of being shot, stabbed, or beaten by rival gangs when traveling outside. And on 10 separate occasions, they attempted to murder my brother, with the most recent attempt being in September 2022. It is emotionally distressing and draining to live in constant fear of losing a loved one. I see the news and hear the sirens go off weekly, teens are being murdered by teens because of gang fights. They are blind-sighted by desires and gullible, teens often have an invincibility complex that prevents them from evaluating dangerous situations. These kids do not know better. I chose this major social issue to understand why youth join gangs, and how heavily it affects the members of my community. I am tired of sobbing for the young lives lost, and for my brother and his friend's safety. I hate that I am used to the sound of gunshots and ambulance sirens. This numbness has festered into anger and resentfulness for the adults that recruit the youth into their gangs. If it weren't for their influence, my brother wouldn't be in danger. In the end, I want to prevent future youth from joining gangs, saving their lives and parents from distress/heartbreak.

For Macho, mi hermano querido.
y para todos los niños en pandillas

Those Affected in the Community

- Gloria Jimenez

- Claudia Santano Cortes

- Servando M. Ramos

References

Bureau, U. S. C. (n.d.). S1501 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT. Explore census data. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=860XX00US90031&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1501 

Bureau, U. S. C. (n.d.). S1901 INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS). Explore census data. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=860XX00US90031&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1901 

Crime Report. Crosstown. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://products.xtown.la/map 

Fleury, E., & Fernet, M. (2012). An exploratory study of gang-affiliated young men's perceptions and experiences of sexuality and gender relations. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 21(1), 1+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A302109615/AONE?u=calstate&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=1b9a7b7d  

MCCARTHY, B., & MARTIN, M. J. (2003). Gangs. In J. J. Ponzetti (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 711-720). Macmillan Reference USA. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3406900183/GVRL?u=calstate&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=bf27a9b3  

Pyrooz, D. C., & Sweeten, G. (1970, January 1). [PDF] gang membership between ages 5 and 17 years in the United States.: Semantic scholar. undefined. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Gang-membership-between-ages-5-and-17-years-in-the-Pyrooz-Sweeten/dd4c41107f38babe3ba57d3eebae72d183519400