Should Children Be Allowed To Join A Gang Essay

The average age of a gang member is 17 or 18, but now, one fourth of all gang members are as young as 15 (citation). Gang recruitment can begin before children reach the age of ten. Gang life is appealing to young ones because of the sense of status and brotherhood associated with this lifestyle. Young recruits are often eager to prove themselves and are willing to be involved in dangerous situations in order to do so. Gang member risk it all for a feeling of purpose and identity and in the long run, lose more than what they bargained for. In the United States of America, teenagers often join a gang for safety, but end up with a record of crime and bad decisions.
1. Why they get involved. Teenagers often seek gangs for security, but often end up with more than they can handle. Young people, who live in neighborhoods with high gang activity, will often join a gang simply to survive. In their minds, it is better to join a gang than to live unprotected and susceptible to attacks ( citation.) These kids enlist in a gang in the hope that joining will provide a feeling of security. More often than not, the root of a child’s insecurity is the lack of familiar support. A juvenile officer states, “ Gangs are the result of poor parental supervision and a lack of discipline.”
It is not enough for only schools to teach; parents must step up and take control to educate their children at home. Parents are the greatest influence on a child and are key in preventing them from joining a gang. A mother and father must love and take responsibility for their child. Parents must train up their child by being positive role models and teaching them the rights and wrongs of the world. The best contribution parents can make in preventing youth gangs and violence is to raise children who have no interest in being involved in such