1. identify the main issues in this article.
The main issues in this article are young boys are now likely joining gangs nowadays. Younger boys are usually get bullied or compromised by gangster. Most gang members are often from upper secondary school, they attract the younger boys to adore them and wanting like gang too. Gang usually invite the new boy who just entered their school and after joining them, they ask to get into random fights or get to a one-on-one fight. Police are concern for young boy joining gangs. This gang are not all boy, they also invite prostitute to recruit with them. Those delinquents boy that are not gangster are also invited to recruit with them to expand their gang population. “I heard because I think that they were the conclude I was joining in the first place” (Tim, 2012)
2. Assuming you are part of the counseling team for the Police Force, what underlying social issues would you uncover as you work with youths at risk?
If I am the police, I will protect a young boy from joining a gang, each boy I will give a warning. If they become a gangster, they are ruining their future from becoming a successful man. I will come down on them because performing a gang is strictly prohibited in Singapore. Still, nowadays so many young boys are reforming a new gang. “There is no place for gangs in Singapore. Those who choose to be relate with gangs will be taken to task. Police do not excuse gang-related activities and will continue to come strict on them.” (Hoong Wee Teck, 2011) Of course, their parents doesn’t want their child to be a gangster, its all about friendship, who you are mixing with. Sometimes, Police are often having trouble to catch gangster
because they are everywhere. Catching gangster are also risky, they can attack the police with weapon, in the end, the police end up in hospital. I am going to talk to boys who are at risk, I will make them realize if they joining the gang how their future will be. Nowadays, young boys are often think about their age only but never think about their future.
3. What are some of the reasons that would attract youth to join a gang?
Gangs are appear very cruel in our nation. Youth are exited to join a
Gang because of a sense of sympathetic, fun and helpful around with the gang.
Gangs may Offer a sense of identity to their members and a way to gain
attention or status. “The main problem can be found to lack of parent attention
on child.” (Ng E-jay, 2008) Youth are also interested joining gang because of
they wanted excitement. Gang members, recruiters and the media glamorize
the gang lifestyle. Gangs usually go out at night, they prey on children who are
walking alone at night and beat them up fatally when no one is around.
Beating up people are of course fun for them, they even have a gang fight.
One of the are also maybe their from broken home family and no one take care
of them.
4. Why would certain forms of persuasion by gangs be effective on some youth and not others?
Youth are usually like to mix around with many friends, once they mix with gangster, they get the influence from the gang because of their activity, eventually, that boy or girl join the gang. Youth are easily distracted with something interesting or addicted such as drugs, fighting or vandalism. They also persuaded by gang is because for protection, joining guarantees support in case of attack and revenge for transgression. Some youth are force to join if they contributed to the gang criminal activity. Being a part of the gang allows the gang member to achieve a level of status if the youth feels impossible outside the gang culture. Some youth are very unstable with their attitude. “One mark on which attitude alter their power of mind” (Westen,p.689). 5. Analyze one of the arguments used in the article. Is the argument used
To persuade or to justify?
The argument use to justify, not only one of the argument, but all of it. The content of the article is very useful for young people, it teach us why not to join the gang. The article shown their afterlife after they quit becoming a gangster. They also trauma after joining the gang because of fighting and being betrayed by other gang member. It also said that police are fighting to prevent anymore gang in Singapore as much as they can. This article can be related to all boys and girls, it’s a really helpful article. All youth should read this kind of article from preventing them to join a gang, especially juvenile delinquents that interested joining in gang but some boys doesn’t care about what people say about joining gang, they just ignore what good advice is.
6. Ben (line 20-23) argues that he joined a gang for a number of reasons. Explain if his arguments for joining a gang are persuasion, justification or explanation.
His argument show a persuasion experience. He said that his friends often spent time at the LAN cafes, this mean his friend persuade Ben to join the gang maybe because of Ben are likely to play online games and the gang are lack of online games player so they invited Ben. Ben did not think twice before joining the gang because he wanted to be popular. In the first place, Ben was wrong because he mixed with them. He is eighteen and mostly gang members are around that age. Ben’s friend appeared cool to him because maybe they wanted Ben to join the gang, Ben can be prevented joining the gang by not mixing with them, he can find another friend to play with.
7. Based on what you have learned about critical thinking, what skills have you have applied in thinking through this article?
According to Cotrell (2011) “critical thinking sounds like a dispassionate process but it can engage emotions and even passionate responses.” (p.5) I have applied with a brainstorm and with my own words. I had answered that youth need to open their eyes to see what upon them, they also need to realize from now if joining a gang how their life will be in the future. We know about the future of gangster, they will have no life in the future. I had talked about the bad side in the previous question. They need to be more awake realizing that becoming a gang will put Singapore’s reputation down if tourist or newcomers knew.
8. Summarize this article in one paragraph of about 120 words.
NEW-AGE gangs are now using social media to increase their ranks. Gangs are recruited to threatened young boys being bullied or in compromising situation. Police are concern about young people joining gang, they are working to prevent youth to join a gang. A counselor once was said gang members are often from secondary school boys, they glamour their life and attract younger boys to join them. A lot of boys get excited when they join a gang, but actually it is a foolish decision to join a gang, they only want their reputation to go higher. They also invite prostitute to join their gang to promise the benefit of joining their gang. In the end, they are all regret.
REFERENCE
Tim, (2011). The new paper. Gangster’s big wake up call. Retrieved from http://www.tnp.sg/content/gangsters-big-wake-call Teck, H.W. (2010). Singapore police force. Crackdown on gang activities. Retrieved from http://www.spf.gov.sg/mic/2011/110710_crackdown.htm
Jay, N.E. (2011). English global voices. Rising gang violence. Retrieved from http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/11/14/singapore-rising-gang-violence/
Westen, Bulton, & Kowalski. (2006). Psychology. Attitude strength. (p.689). AUS:
Australian and new Zealand edition.
Cotrell, S. (2011). Critical thinking skills. Developing effective analysis and
Argument. (p.5). ENG: Palgrave macmillan.