LATIN KINGS AND TWO SIX GANG CRACKDOWN IN LIL VILLAGE CHICAGO

PILSEN CHICAGO THIS IS MY HOOD

Why teens join gangs?

Why do teens join gangs? Gang members are from both poor and wealthy neighborhoods and from big cities and small rural towns. What causes some teens to join gangs?

1. Most teen gang members have been forced to join a gang, they have no choice most of the time its either to join a gang or get hurt or killed
2. Teens join because they have no support at home, and they just want to find a family for themselves
3. Teens also want to be accepted and respected, they think that no one values them as who they are
4. Sometimes it's because they just something to do
   
5. Teens also think gangs will give them something to value, like expensive sneakers, leather jackets, gold rings, etc.Gangs take advantage of all this to get innocent teens to join them, gangs also promise teens that they will take them in and take care of them just like a family. But the reality is that gangs only offer false promises, because if they would actually care they wouldn't ask teens to do the following:

Here are some real things gang members are often asked to do:

1. Hurt or kill innocent people
2. Perform heterosexual or homosexual acts, or both
3. Allow yourself to be beat up in order to join the "family"
4. Put yourself in danger of injury, disease, prison, and death

Would a caring family ask you to do these things?

chicago gangs

What is a gang? What do gangs do? Statistics..

A gang is usually a group of teens and young adults who spend most of their time together. They often plan how to carry out different activities that usually involve using violence. Gangs are known by particular names. They are organized with leaders and followers. Gangs usually claim a particular area of a city or town which they call their “turf”. They spend most of their time recruting new members and protecting their "turf" from the rival gangs and to keep them out of their territory. A gang usually makes money by doing illegal things. They get most of their money by dealing illegal drugs, forcing people to pay them money for protection, robbing people and stores, selling those stolen things, and trading illegal weapons.

Statistics:

• About 7 percent of teens say they belong to gangs


• Gang members usually range in age from 12 to 25 years old


• The average ageto be in a gang is 17


• Many large gangs have members of several age and ethnic groups


• About 20 percent of all teens know someone who was killed or injured by a gang member


• In some cities 70 percent of teens are killed by guns or a gang member


• Gang members steal or destroy school property

Female Gang History

Female gangs have existed since the 1800’s. Females were seen to be inferior towards males, and this is a reason why we don't hear much about them. Females are usually recognized as members of the gang as someone’s girlfriend, sister, or relative but not an actual member of the gang like males. Females who are in a gang were often used only for holding weapons or drugs, as alibis or sex toys. Today, many of the same generalizations still apply to females although there have been some changes. Females now will wear gang related clothing, participate in criminal activities, and actually plan some of the crimes. Recently, females have tried to form their own gangs, taking what they learn from all male gangs and applying them to their own gangs. Females now such do jump-ins, graffiti, tattoos, and use weapons and violence, as a way for them to gain a good reputation or respect and recognition from the male gangs. When females decide to be a part of a gang, they must be initiated by other members. Before the only way females where able to join a gang was by being introduced to one either by getting jumped-in, or sexed-in. Jumped means you just get hit from the members of the gangs for some minutes. Sexed-in to a gang means having sex with several of the hard-core gang members. Females will often choose to be jumped-in because it is a way to gain respect from their fellow homeboys or the males in the gang. Being jumped-in also gives females the tough image and reputation they seek in order to be in the gang. Females who choose to be sexed-in will not enter the gang with as much respect because they had sex just to be in, and this shows that they don't even respect themselves. And therefore these females who preferred to be sex-in were often just used as sex toys for the gang and not highly respected. Even though females commit the same violent crimes as the male gang members do, they are often overlooked by law enforcement. Females will usually carry razor blades in their mouths, knives in their hair, and are able to hide weapons and drugs with their bodies. It is hard to remember that female gang members can be just as dangerous as males and should not be underestimated because of their sex. It is important to know that females seek gang membership for the same reasons that males do. These reasons are for protection, love, money, recognition, etc. Whereas males can be active in a gangs for several years, females tend to leave the gangs at soon as possible, when they are still young. Females try to get out of a gang earlier because of several factors. These factors are, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and the need of finding a job to support themselves and or family and kids if they have them.

Female Gangs

Joining a gang is a significant, potentially life-altering, event. The reasons for any single juvenile’s joining a gang are complex and personal. Though most females join gangs for friendship and self-affirmation. "Female gang members are characterized as being wild, hedonistic, irrational, amoral, and violent" (see Chesney-Lind, 1993). There are two basic types of female gang organization. The first and most common type of girl gang is based on their affiliation. These are usually described as "auxiliary" or "satellite" groups, and are an expression of the gender relations and boundaries of society. The other group is the independent one, where the females establish their own rules and is not subordinate to other male gangs.