Why Teens End Up In Gangs
Teens tend to get in trouble a lot no matter the consequence. Some teenagers wind up arrested or somehow involved with police. Some conflicts end in violence. One prevalent way a teen may channel that violence is through joining a gang. Teens in gangs frequently come from broken homes, peer pressure, or a lack of acceptance. First, many teenagers who live in a home with a broken family find a home within a gang. When a child has been abused, finding a gang seems like a distraction. Gangs offer a surrogate family; a brotherhood which is a perfect trap to entice a hurting person. When a father abandons the family, the teen is void
of much needed guidance. A family member might have wronged a teen, which is a perfect set up for a gang to open their arms, emboldening the idea of revenge. Second, the added pressure one feels as an adolescent to be cool and to fit in heavily influences the mind. A person could easily be lured in by friends who are affiliated with gangs. The temptation of gaining the perceived power of which belonging to a gang provides would be difficult to reject. The desire to be popular corrupts the mind with ideas of gang life. Others might convince a teen that being in a gang would offer them the security of being respected. Third, involvement with gangs eliminates the fear of nonacceptance. A struggling outsider could feed his wanting of acceptance from the inclusiveness of a gang. A lonely teen feelings of being wanted blinds the good judgement of saying no. Joining a gang automatically earns one friends. When a teenager wants to feel important, teaming with a gang could offer that solution. Adolescents who come from unstable homes cave into peer pressure with a longing for acceptance, and often find themselves trapped in a gang. Teens that join violent gangs have many reasons. Teenagers coming from all sorts of unfortunate situations make mistakes that get them in trouble.