Title: Gangs and Children
Headings: Gangs and Children
Gangs and Children
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Content: Gangs can include people of every gender, race, culture and socioeconomic group. Some children and adolescents are motivated to join a gang for a sense of connection or to define a new sense of who they are. Others are motivated by peer pressure, a need to protect themselves and their family, because a family member also is in a gang, or to make money. One of the worst effects of gang membership is the exposure to violence. Gang members may be pressured to commit a crime to become part of the gang. Consequences of gang membership may include exposure to drugs and alcohol, age-inappropriate sexual behavior, difficulty finding a job because of lack of education and work skills, removal from ones family, imprisonment and even death. Risk factors that can contribute to the risk that children and adolescents join a gang include: Growing up in an area with heavy gang activity. A history of gang involvement in the family (family members who are current or former gang members). A history of violence in the home.