Why Girls Join A Gang
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA
NAME: OLGA OTTEN
TERM PAPER: WHY DO FEMALES JOIN GANGS (US)
INTRODUCTION There is no apparent definition for the word “gang” but according to the oxford dictionary the term “gang” is referred to as ‘a group of youngsters or adolescents who associate closely, often exclusively, for certain social reasons, especially such groups engage themselves in delinquent or felonious behaviors’. Most at times when we think of gang members we think boys. Right? Do we ever think of girls/females being a part of the street gang scenes? Probably not. Recently, extensive studies have been taken to determine …show more content…
Also these growing teenage girls find it difficult to define their place in the world hence they flee to any group in this case ‘gang’ that share similar interest and feel they relate to more. These gangs are at times made up strictly of girls, or there is the type where the girls join the male gangs and in both cases both participate in and commit crimes and acts of violence. Female/ girl gangs are considered a threat to society or the nation depending on their level of law …show more content…
Most of these female gangs are located in the poor urban areas. “The home lives of gang girls are marked frequently by breakdown and dysfunction, at worst resulting in physical and sexual abuse” (Campbell, 175). The former statement is evidence that most of these young women who join gangs are those who have been victimized at home. They leave their home to join gangs in order to escape from their abusive/ hostile homes and or environments and also explained that their involvement in such gang activities is to gain the attention they seek from their families even if it is a negative manner. According to research, most female gang members escaped from home due to them experiencing sexual and or physical abuse in their homes (Carrasco, 1999). This abuse could either be from their parents, siblings or close family relatives. In the US, Los Angeles had 29 percent of female gang members who had been sexually abused in their homes (Moore, 1991, 1994). Again in Hawaii, studies found that female gang members who reported abused at home made up almost two thirds of them (Moore, Hagedorn,
NAME: OLGA OTTEN
TERM PAPER: WHY DO FEMALES JOIN GANGS (US)
INTRODUCTION There is no apparent definition for the word “gang” but according to the oxford dictionary the term “gang” is referred to as ‘a group of youngsters or adolescents who associate closely, often exclusively, for certain social reasons, especially such groups engage themselves in delinquent or felonious behaviors’. Most at times when we think of gang members we think boys. Right? Do we ever think of girls/females being a part of the street gang scenes? Probably not. Recently, extensive studies have been taken to determine …show more content…
Also these growing teenage girls find it difficult to define their place in the world hence they flee to any group in this case ‘gang’ that share similar interest and feel they relate to more. These gangs are at times made up strictly of girls, or there is the type where the girls join the male gangs and in both cases both participate in and commit crimes and acts of violence. Female/ girl gangs are considered a threat to society or the nation depending on their level of law …show more content…
Most of these female gangs are located in the poor urban areas. “The home lives of gang girls are marked frequently by breakdown and dysfunction, at worst resulting in physical and sexual abuse” (Campbell, 175). The former statement is evidence that most of these young women who join gangs are those who have been victimized at home. They leave their home to join gangs in order to escape from their abusive/ hostile homes and or environments and also explained that their involvement in such gang activities is to gain the attention they seek from their families even if it is a negative manner. According to research, most female gang members escaped from home due to them experiencing sexual and or physical abuse in their homes (Carrasco, 1999). This abuse could either be from their parents, siblings or close family relatives. In the US, Los Angeles had 29 percent of female gang members who had been sexually abused in their homes (Moore, 1991, 1994). Again in Hawaii, studies found that female gang members who reported abused at home made up almost two thirds of them (Moore, Hagedorn,