Why would someone join a gang when one does not hear of anything positive about being one of their members. There are pulls and pushes to joining such as social forces, lucrative or financial forces, and ethnic forces that push many young people in the direction of gangs. Is the reputation and image of gangs more stereotypical than realistic? The stereotype of a gang is they are frightening people with only violence in mind and they appear to rule the streets of their cities. People are fearful of them because of the unknown that they might do, their dress and tattoos. Their reputation is that they are thugs with no conscience who might steal the car you are driving, rape you, or shoot you on sight. When one weighs the choices of the adolescent to join the membership, they look at it quite differently than an adult. They only see the opportunities for excitement, prestige, making money without working for it, fun, status, protection from other gangs and the ability to be with their friends and be one of the gang. …show more content…
Gangs may have started in urban areas, but have spread to suburban and rural areas all over the United States. Gangs are all over the world, but I will concentrate on gangs in the United States. Both female gangs and street gangs seem to arise because of the poverty in their home lives, their search for personal identity of self, reciprocal interaction among the members and a sense of rapport with each other. The gang becomes their replacement family and they then become very protective of each other. Loyalty is an important part of being a gang member and when one becomes unloyal they are either punished or ostracized from the