How Does Gang Violence Affect Families

VIOLENCE

Today all around the world violence is increasing at a high rate. Every single country around the world is affected by some type of violence whether it is Gun/Gang related, Domestic, Structural, Cultural etc. Anyone can be affected by these types of violence.
Gang Violence is violence amongst groups of people known as gangs. This happens in cities and other highly populated areas. Domestic Violence is physical or verbal abuse toward a spouse or family member. Structural Violence refers to systematic ways in which social structures harm or otherwise disadvantage individuals. Cultural Violence refers to aspects of culture that can be used to justify or legitimize violence.

Affects Of Violence

Each type of violence affects all types of people in many different ways.
Gang violence affects the families of the gangs, who have to suffer with the consequences of their loved one who thinks gang violence is a decent way to live, keeping them from working and contributing to society in a meaningful way.
It affects the families of victims from gang related incidents, It affects entire communities, because the sense of peace, security and safety are gone. It affects children who can't go outdoors to play because they of the fear of being shot, and it affects each one of us who lives in a city where gangs exist.

Domestic violence does not only impact the victim but it also impacts everyone around the victim. The victims children, family ,and friends are all affected by domestic violence. Statistics show that one out of three women experience some form of domestic violence in their lifetime. Short term affects of domestic violence include depression, anxiety, emotional injury, social isolation, fear etc. Long term affects include unemployment, poverty, lack of confidence, lack of self esteem, post traumatic stress and all of the short term
affects.

All types of people around the world are affected by structural violence. It involves your culture, race, beliefs, gender, age, social class, attitude, bias, and opinions. Hunger ,poverty and racism are examples of structural violence. It is generally seen as actions taken by a group or mandated laws that cause harm to groups of people. It's not one-on-one violence. Therefore almost everyone experiences some type of structural violence in their life.

Cultural Violence is the prevailing attitudes and beliefs that we have been taught since childhood and that surround us in daily life about the power and necessity of violence in our world. Nearly all cultures recognize that killing a person is murder,but kill tens , hundreds, or even thousands of people during a declared conflict is called war and it is not considered murder. Almost all cultures are affected by cultural violence.

Solutions To Stop Violence

There are some things that the government can do to stop violence.

To stop gang violence many things must be put in place and the government must be the basis to the solution of this problem. Strengthen the gun laws, every year thousands of firearms are illegally brought into our city thus allowing people to easily get a hold of them. Employment should be given to the youth who are heavily involved in gang related acts. Good and quality education must be given to all students. Food and materials should be made available and affordable for all. Most importantly youths involved with gang violence should change and get themselves occupied with something reasonable.

To stop Domestic violence we all have to take action. We cannot afford to bury our heads and hope that domestic violence will go away. Abuse is only stopped by intervention. All abusers, no matter how prominent, powerful, wealthy or highly educated, must be held accountable for their actions. We must work together to help victims and perpetrators find safety and healing from these abusive relationships. The government can help victims of domestic violence by creating a hotline.(Example kids help phone). The victims can then tell someone what is really going on and that person can send them help.

Governments around the world can stop structural violence by changing certain laws in their countries. They should allow all types of people no matter what their gender, race or culture is to have the same rights and necessities as everyone else.

In order to stop cultural violence governments should stop endorsing war and find another way to solve the worlds issues.

What We can Do To Stop Violence

There are many things that we can do to stop violence in our cities and countries around the world. We can make good examples of ourselves by not expressing violence in out daily lives. Never express violence around children, if children see someone else act violently they will think it is okay act violent in society.

Also Remember that words can be violent. Words can be just as violent, sometimes more so, than physical actions. Threatening to harm someone else, using violent words perpetuate violent thoughts and actions are all examples of violence. Watch your language, and don't show others that you think violence is okay.

Teen violence is an ongoing problem and has been identified as a public issue in many communities across Canada and the United States. Provide teens with training in a skill such as playing an instrument or a sport. When teens possess skills or a special talent they maintain a higher level of self-esteem and self-image.

Create an atmosphere that includes an adult who nurtures and supports the teen. Teens who can depend on the presence of an adult who will listen and help them in navigating challenging issues often avoid violent situations.

Gangs infest nearly every city. They ruin lives through violence, murder, drugs, theft, and destruction while lowering the standard of living for many citizens trapped by gang activities. Offer support and counseling to victims of gangs living in the area.

Bring in community leaders, religious leaders, police, counsellors, clubs like the YMCA, business leaders and other community groups to develop programs to stop gang violence.

Develop a strong bond with youths in your community to stop them from joining or hanging around with violent gangs.

Domestic violence knows no boundaries, affecting men and women of all ages and races. A safety plan is an emergency plan for domestic violence victims. They should prepare this in order to protect themselves from dangerous situations.

The victims should gather the following materials drivers license, birth certificate, Social Security cards, credit cards, health/life/car insurance papers, passport, car registration and protective orders. In the safety plan, numbers and contacts with local hospitals and family violence program affiliates should also be included. Legal and law enforcement contacts should be written down too.

This kind of plan can help a victim stay focused and protect themselves if an emergency arises. Preparing a safety plan cuts down on the fear that victims face too.

In conclusion I would like to say that any act of violence is wrong and no one deserves to be a victim of it. Together we can all make a difference and extinguish violence from our society.