 Issue:
Community Violence
Violence is an epidemic problem in America?s urban communities. Many youth have died because of this epidemic. In recent years such violence has been on the rise. This needs to stop.
We, as the Codman Community Violence Committee, are committed to making change on this issue.
- Please read the FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS section below to gain key knowledge about community violence and, in particular, gang violence.
- You can learn more ABOUT US and our work engaging in SOCIAL ACTION against community violence by clicking on the links above or on the menu to the left.
- You can follow the links below to view MEDIA COVERAGE on our social action. The Boston Globe: 4/28/06 The Boston Metro: 4/28/06 The Christian Science Monitor: 5/10/06
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Frequently Asked Questions about Community Violence
WHAT IS A STREET GANG?
A gang is a group of youths who are united by a mutual interest and act collectively to control a particular territory, facility, or enterprise (Howell et al., 1996) Since a gang can change the social status of a neighborhood, a street gang is a mini culture, a mini-culture, classified by its racial-ethnic make-up, with values that are often different from those of normal American society (Burch, 1997 and Huff, 1998).
HOW DO GANGS AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE IN GENERAL AFFECT NEIGHBORHOODS?
Once established, businesses in an area affected by community violence often lose customers, employers, and revenue due to the rise in the communities? violence. Due to the loss of neighborhoods business, neighborhood schools are also affected (Jackson, 1996) which, in time, affects the youth in that neighborhood. Surveys show that youngster who end up involved in gangs often start hanging out with gangs at the age or 12 or 13 years old and then join the gang at about 13 or 14 years, and finally get arrested for the first time of 14 years old (Huff, 1998).The news media coverage often acts as a reputation builder for a gang, and the more airtime they receive the more the violence is increased (Jackson, 1996).
WHAT ARE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE INVOLVED IN GANG ACTIVITY?
AGE: Gangs consists mostly of youths, between the ages of 10 and 26 years old (Huff 1998).
RACE/ETHNICITY: Street gangs exist among every ethic-racial group in America, although African American and Hispanic gangs are the most populous. Two of the most well-known gangs in America, the Crips and the Bloods, are composed primarily of African Americans; their numbers have continued to rise since the beginning of 1969. In Los Angeles, where the Crips and the Bloods are primarily stationed, there are also about 600 Hispanic gangs and an Asian gang population of about 20,000 (Alonso, 2005). Thus, street gangs are a widespread phenomenon with strong ties to lower-class, urban minority youth communities.
CLASS/PLACE: American street gang members are primarily from working-class, inner-city neighborhoods (Howell et al., 2002). Large cities, for example, contained about 72 percent of America?s active youth gangs in the late 1990?s. However, the problem is widespread. In 1997, 51 percent of all cities and counties reported active youth gangs. Though gangs predominately reside on America?s west coast, with 74% of gangs existing in that section of the country (Miller, 2001), mini street gangs are still predominate in other cities of the United States, and some may not be accounted for in official statistics.
WHY ARE GANGS FORMED?
Poverty, underserved youth, and a lack of adequate social institutions are among the causes of gangs in communities. The rise of gangs from 1978 to 1982 can be attributed to the rising unemployment rate due to de-industrialization (Alonso, 2005). The crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980?s also ruined many neighborhoods (Pruitt, 2001). These social tremors often cause underserved populations to seek outlets for their rage and struggles, and gang activity is one of the most immediately rewarding options in terms of potential income and respect. Of course, the long term results of such activity are often tragic.
Bibliography:
Alonso, Alejandro A. Black Street Gangs in Los Angeles: A History. 12/19/05 http://www.streetgangs.com/history/hist01.html
Burch, James H., and Betty M.Chamers. ?A Comprehensive Response to America?s Youth
Howell, James C., and Scott H. Decker. ?The Youth Gang, Drugs, and Violence Connections.? Juvenile Justice Bulletin. January, 1999.
Howell, James C., Egley Jr., Arlen, Gleason, Debra K. ?Modern-Day Youth Gangs.? Juvenile Justice Bulletin June, 2002.
Huff, C. Ronald. ?Comparing the Criminal Behavior of Youth Gangs and At-Risk Youths.? National Institute of Justice October, 1998.
Jackson, Robert K, and Wesley D. McBride. Understanding Street Gang Violence. Placerville, CA: Copperhouse Publishing Company, 1996.
Miller, Jody, Cheryl L. Maxson, and Malcolm W. Klein. The Modern Gang Reader: Second Edition. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing Company, 2001.
Pruitt, Bettye H. ?The Boston Strategy: A Story of Unlikely Alliances? The Boston Strategy To Prevent Youth Violence 2001. 12/19/05
(Marlon Thompson & Sherry Jones are the authors of the above section)
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