Gang Violence: The Causes Of African American Gangs

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The definition of a gang as most of us know it, is an organization or group of criminals. A violent group that comes in many different types’, race, age, and geographic background. However, most gangs reside in urban areas and in poor community. The most recognizable gangs that the American media, culture, and justice system look at frequently is African American gangs. Those are the at-risk gangs or thugs that is frequently said to African American gangs. In the 1990s, gang violence was on the rise, where it was dominantly founded in youths. Anderson, Dyson, and Lee (1996) argued that when a group of African American youths join together and commits delinquent acts and crime, they already categorized as gangs to the American public. This affect and many other affects is what creates an increase in gang violence. Those other factors are socioeconomic status, history, race, gendered, and geographic background. They play a huge role on the creation and formation of gangs. Theses factor will help understand the cause of gang’s geographical livings, and the strains that instilled in African American gangs. Overall, an awareness that will help stop the violence in black youth in dominate urban areas. The Causes of African American Gangs Anderson, Dyson, and Lee argued that the main cause of the creation of gangs is Robert Merton theory on Strain. Merton (1938) believes that the conflict between culturally induced goals and institutionalized means to achieve goals or the

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