Title: How Street Gangs Work | HowStuffWorks
Headings: How Street Gangs Work
How Street Gangs Work
Why Do People Join Gangs?
Gang History
Gang Life
Stopping Gangs
Street Gangs FAQ
What does Crips stand for?
What does Bloods stand for?
What's the difference between the Bloods and Crips?
Are the Bloods and Crips still at war?
How many street gangs are in the United States?
Citation

Content: Indeed, youth sports programs, swimming pools or even libraries are often in short supply or poor repair in tough urban areas. But for every teenager who gets bored and joins a gang, there are 10 who find positive, productive ways to spend their time. Despair. If poverty is a condition, despair is a state of mind. People who have always lived in poverty with parents who lived in poverty often see no chance of ever getting a decent job, leaving their poor neighborhood or getting an education. They are surrounded by drugs and gangs, and their parents may be addicts or non-responsive. A neighborhood gang can seem like the only real family they'll ever have. Joining a gang gives them a sense of belonging and being a part of something important that they can't get otherwise. In some cases, parents approve of their children joining gangs and may have been a member of the same gang in the past. Drug use is an underlying factor in all of these reasons.