There is a couple of different environments that can lead juveniles to joining a gang. One of the biggest enivornmental factors is a juvenile growing up in a heavily populated gang area. If a juvenile grows up in a heavily populated gang area, that is all they will see going on around them. They will think that is the right thing to do because everyone else around them is involved in a gang. Another enivornmental factor that can lead a juvenile to joining a gang, is unstructured free time. A juvenile that has too much free time, can start hanging out with friends that are involved in gangs, which can lead them to join a gang as well. A juvenile having too much free time is not good for them. It will hurt them in the long run because it could lead …show more content…
If a juvenile has a parent that works long hours to pay the bills, so they are not around, could cause their child to join a gang. If the parent is not around, they may not know what their child is getting involved in. The child does not have parents there telling them what is right and what is wrong, which could cause them to join a gang. A lack of positive role models and exposure to media (movies, music) that glorifies gang violence can lead a juvenile to joining a gang (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2016). A juvenile that does not have one positive role model to look up to can be destructive for them. It can cause them to turn to joining a gang. The gang can create a sense of family for them. Also, if the movies and music that they are listening and watching glorifies gangs then they will be more likely to want to join a gang. Also having family members that are involved in the gang life, can influence a juvenile into joining a gang. An underlying mental-health issue or behavioral disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ((American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,