kerkhoff-gangs

Gang activity is looked at majorly as a social devience in today's society. Gangs are everywhere in america mostly located in large cities such as Los Angeles or New York, but are also in small towns such as Warsaw. They are looked at as devient because being in a gang basically means you create your own rules. They act different than the "common man", dress different, and share their own common identity. This is what seperates them from the rest of society. Many times gangs are formed out of poor areas inside cities, they are started from people who are sick of not having money, or in the need of a "family" though not biological. They basically circulate around selling drugs, controlling an area or street, having weapons, pretty much making their own laws and doing their own thing.

Alot of times there are certain things you have to do to get into a gang, in large cities it could be as severe as commiting a homicide. Most times to get into a gang you have to get "jumped in", that is when all the gang members start beating the person who wants in the gang. Other times you just have to do a certain thing that the gang leader says you have to do, like theft etc.

Being accepted in a gang is a huge thing for members. This means that the certain individual now has some power in their city. They have large numbers of people now who has there back no matter what, whether it be to commit a crime, or if someone is trying to commit a crime against them. In other words they are protected.