The Treatment Of Youth Gang Members Criminology Essay

The Treatment Of spring chicken Gang Members Criminology EssayShould Convicted Youth Gang Members Be Treated bid Other Juvenile Delinquents, Including Status Offenders? According to the National Gang Center, in that location is no single, generally accepted definition of a conclave. State and local jurisdictions lead to develop their own definitions. The term bridle-path gang is practically used interchangeably with youth gang as well as criminal street gang, with the latter explicitly denoting the element of criminal activity found almost universally in gang-related legislation (National Gang Center, 2011). There be different types of gangs, for font There are Delinquent Youth Gangs which are considered as groups of three-year-old individuals, juveniles, who hang out and do everything together. The group will identify themselves with similar clothing, egest signals, or colors. They have eng timed in delinquent acts or undesirable behavior such as truancy, status offenses or minor vandalism. Their behavior often warrants the attention of the local law enforcement, residents and the school system but they have not reached the level of appointting serious crimes. Traditional Turf Based Gangs are when groups of young people, juveniles and or adults, who have a known name and leader or leaders who identify themselves through clothing, hand signals, and colors. Turf Based Gangs usually get in touch themselves with a territory, which they defend against rival gang members. These gang members have eng senesced in such acts as vandalism (graffiti), assault, and in some cases homicide. Then there are the Gain Oriented Gangs which are groups of young people, juveniles and adults. They are similar to the Turf Based Gangs because they also have a known name and a leader or leaders. The individuals within this type of gang repeatedly engage in criminal activities as a group or individually for the restore purpose of economic gain. Gain oriented gang members wi ll engage in offenses such as robbery, theft and the distribution and sale of a controlled substance. Lastly, is the ferocious/Hate Gangs which are groups of young people, juveniles and adults with a known name and a leader or leaders. The Violent/Hate gang members collectively engage in criminal acts of violence towards groups or individuals, which is considered to be their primary motivation. Geographical turf, material and economical gain is secondary. The offenses that The Violent/Hate gangs commit are serious assaults and homicide.Youth Involvement in GangsThe 2004 National Youth Gang Survey issued data estimating that 41 percent of youth gang members were juveniles and 59 percent were young adults age 18 or older (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006, p.83). The age of membership for Youth Gang members is generally between the ages of 12 and 24 (Hess, 2010, p.200). There are umpteen reasons wherefore youth join gangs. One reason is the socio-economic background of the individual. Othe r reasons could be for attention, wanting to feel a part of something, peer pressure, financial gain, the feeling of organism loved and accepted (something that they may not feel at home), and for protection. Children search for acceptance and attention from gangs who show a false sense of love by giving the child street status and an identity of their own. In return the child shows complete loyalty to the gang to the extent of disowning biological family members. many a(prenominal) parents have no clue that their child is affiliated with a gang. To combat the growing problem of youth gangs parents must become more involved with their childs twenty-four hours to day activities. Parents must educate themselves on the warning signs of gang activity. Parents should have an in-depth discussion of gangs and the harsh realities of living a life as a gang member, for example an extensive criminal record, prison, and death of friends and family.Juvenile Delinquents and Status OffensesA j uvenile delinquent is a person who is under age, which is usually below the age of 18, who is found to have committed a crime in states which have declared by law that a minor lacks responsibility and thus may not be sentenced as an adult (Farlex, 2011) . However, the legislatures of several states have reduced the age of a criminal responsibility for serious crimes or for repeat wrongdoers to as low as 14. Status offense is an offense committed by a juvenile that would not be a crime if committed by an adult. Some examples of status offenses are, truancy, running away, curfew violation, incorrigibility or endangering health and morals.ConclusionA convicted youth gang member should not be treated like a status offender or juvenile delinquent. (Hess, 2010, p.200) states belonging to a gang is not illegal in this country however, many of the activities that gangs participate in are illegal. Gangs commit shootings, assaults, robberies and other violent crimes engage in extortion and o ther felonies traffic in drugs and generally terrorize neighborhoods. Convicted youth gang members are aware of the crimes they commit and some consider it as a way of life. These crimes are substantially more serious than status offenses or delinquent behavior. I feel that offender based criteria should be the factor which control the decision-making process, be it the decision to directly file or transfer a juvenile offender to adult tourist court for prosecution or the decision as to what sanction should ultimately be imposed if a juvenile offender is convicted. Gangs actively recruit membership in their early-to-mid teens to carry out violent and heinous crimes as a way to prove themselves to gang leaders and to increase their individual standing within the gangs hierarchy. Because many states mandate lesser penalties for violent juvenile offenders than adults, gang leadership often have juvenile gang members perform violent crimes towards others because there is less of an ca pacity to prosecute them. While I strongly believe treatment, rehabilitation, youth gang prevention initiatives and after-school programs are important tools in addressing Americas gang problem, the ability to abide swift enforcement of violent juvenile offenders is necessary to keep our nations communities safe.