Gangs In The Mid-1800s

A gang is “a group of people who associate with one another for social or criminal reasons” (Hagedorn). Many people want to end violence not only in homes but in the streets. Gangs are one source of violence in the streets. Gangs have been around in the United States since the mid-1800s (Hagedorn). Gangs form for social, personal, and criminal reasons. Bill Cosby once said, “The main goal of the future is to stop violence. The world is addicted to it.” Many high schoolers join gangs to keep from being bullied (Miller). On the other hand, some students are bullied until they join a certain gang. According to Miller, when a high schooler first joins a gang they have a sense of acceptance and protection. These high schoolers may not have had a family to show them love and protect them, so they think if they join a gang they will be able to get there need for protection and acceptance filled. However, being in a gang in high school is only going to

Many people join gangs to get money. The person can get money by selling illegal drugs. According to Hagedorn, gangs in the mid-1800s were big into illegal liquor sells. These gangs would sell alcohol that couldn’t be sold in stores to make money. Some other people are in gangs because they are dealing with more mentally driven problems rather than physical wants. One problem for example would be victimization. Howell states that “children who are victims of abuse or neglect are more likely to join gangs” (Howell). The child has an overwhelming feeling of neglect and just wants to be loved. This is a prime time for someone in a gang to begin to know the child and slowly convince him or her to join the gang. At this point, the child is unaware of what is happening. The gang has, in a way, pulled a blind over his or her eyes to prevent him or her from seeing the damage that being in a gang can