Increased Youth Violence and Gang Culture - Essay Example

Increased Youth Violence and a Rise in Gun, Knife and Gang Culture – Causes and Concerns Grade Although youth violence has always existed in the backdrops of society, over the last few years Britain has seen a shocking twist for the worse, particularly in terms of gang violence. Not only is it becoming more closely involved with our everyday lives – with new cases reported weekly if not almost daily – but those involved in these crimes, both victim and perpetrator are also getting younger by the day. There was a time when a fifteen year old murderer would have shocked the nation and while it may still do so, the fact of the matter is that it has happened more than just once. In fact, there have been reports of children as young as 11 being murdered, not out of personal violence, but gang crimes such as the unfortunate murder of 11 year old Rhys Jones. Worse still is the fact that street brawls include more than just fists and kicks now – they include the very real possibility of knives and guns. To get an idea of how widespread the problem is, a 2007 report stated that there are over 600 to 700 young people between the ages of 10 to 19 involved in gang activity, having affected the lives of over 8100 others (Pitts, 2007). In 2009 it was reported that there has been a seventy five percent increase in the number of teenage stab victims over sixteen, and an almost staggering ninety percent increase in the number of stab victims under the age of sixteen (Blair, 2009). The questions is, however, when did this shift arise, and why has it arisen in the first place? What are the reasons that younger children are submerging themselves into this violent culture and finding themselves the dangerous target of an armed child? Where do these children get access to the weapons they use and who is responsible for making it possible? Who the Faces behind These Crimes Are The main problem with gathering data on youth criminals is the fact that it is often a widespread grey area where the question of motivation is concerned. Is it possible for a child or teenage to act of completely independent motivation? If so, one may wonder where motivation arises from and is that source of motivation in any way to blame for the uncultured reaction of an individual not yet considered a mature adult by society. And if not, what are the factors influencing these crimes, and who are these children acting in support with. The obvious answer might be gang activity, but the further confusion arises when one considers that not all criminal youth activity is motivated by gangs, and vice versa. So how is one expected to offer some clarity into this blurred line? Perhaps one of the main reasons authorities find it difficult to assess data on gangs and underage crimes and get reliable information on youth violence activity is the reluctance of those involved to assist in giving information access to authorities (Youth Justice Board, 2007). It is therefore difficult to understand what exactly constitutes a gang, and when by extension a crime would be considered a gang crime, or gang motivated, or an otherwise one-off crime. To further complicate matters, when a crime is reported the records maintained focus on victim and perpetrator rather than prior group motivation or involvement, unless the crime is taken to court. This skews data on crimes motivated by gang activity and instead accumulates as data on individual crimes, even when it is not actually so. Secondly, members in gangs generally prefer to administer their own form of justice, not reporting crimes to the police even when they are involved with the victim party (Squires, 2008), thereby making it difficult to get access to those involved in these crimes in the first place. A more reasonable approach might perhaps be to get a better understanding of gang culture, and gang crimes and then by means of elimination determine whether a crime is a gang crime or individually motivated. As defined by the Center for Social Justice Report in 2009, a gang is ‘A relatively durable, predominantly street-based group of young people who (1) see themselves (and are seen by others) as a discernible group, (2) Engage in a range of criminal activity and violence, (3) identify with or lay claim over territory, (4) have some form of identifying structural feature, and (5) are in conflict with other, similar, gangs.’ Judging by this definition, one may consider a gang as a ‘support system’ that helps facilitate, accommodate and motivate the crimes these individuals carry out. While it might perhaps be presumptive to consider all youth criminals as gangsters, evidence indicates that most typical criminal profiles closely match the basic profile of a gang member. For example, reports such as those by Row and Ashe (2006) or Sharp, Aldridge, and Medina (2004) have helped profile the sketch of a typical member of these gangs as a predominantly male, aged 10 to 19, but ages ranging from 12 to 25 overall, and of varied ethnicity, generally based on the community they operate in. Although female gang members also exist in varying capacities, they are generally as supporting members of gangs rather than active ones involved in front line criminal activities. Most youth criminals are also shown to have little or no schooling, either by choice or else by official order. This was supported by the fact that lower education levels likely meant an overall unavailability of meaningful employment, leading them to turn to street culture (Bullock and Tilley, 2007). It might therefore be safe to conclude that gang violence has a heavy impact if not complete control over the rise of violence and violent culture among the youth. Is a rising gang culture responsible for youth violence? Some might however argue that children have always existed, and so has truancy and trouble. Why then has it only been recently, over the last decade or so, that gang violence in particular or even individual teenage violence is on the rise? Is it, as mentioned, due to an increase in gang culture, or could it perhaps be due to an easier availability of guns and knives? The chief argument in that relevance is the fact that it’s likely due to an increase in gang culture. So why exactly is there such a sudden increase in gang culture? There are perhaps several reasons for this, interconnected or independent. To start with, the work and employment culture in Britian, like the rest of the world, has begun to change. While there was once a time when a good education, or the desire to earn an honest living was enough to guarantee you a steady lifestyle, that time not supported by the current economic state of the country, or world for that matter (Brewer, 2007). According to Anderson (1999), just wanting to earn is no longer enough to ensure you will. The economy wants to be supported rather than support. So while those with a valuable education, in terms of technical skill, might still expect a good income, it is unlikely that those with physical skills expect the same security. As a result, the working class is no longer the working class. Its demand and place in working society has been replaced for the educated class. At the same time, those with sound education and a sound economic background, being in high demand, are steadily getting richer. Not only is unemployment itself giving rise to the working class’s frustration, it is fueled by seeing a stark contrast they are helpless to control (Bennet and Holloway, 2007). According to Pitt’s 2008 report, there was a fourty percent increase in unemployment among older teenagers and young adults over the decade. This not only meant a decrease in income, but also a steady loss of purpose and self-worth among this youth. Unfortunatley, this youth then turned to gangs to help compensate for this lack of purpose, worth, control and money. Once submerged in gang culture, it is only a matter of time before these individuals start engaging in crimes, whether motivated by gangs or individual agendas. Has easier Self Defense has contributed to easier Violence? Another possible cause for gun and knife violence is not gangs, but perhaps the simple availability of guns and knives. According to a report released by the Home Office in 2007, there are almost 400,000 legal gun weapons in current possession. The illegal possession of firearms is perhaps three times that amount, although the exact figures are unknown. Knives on the other hand do not even require permits to be owned. In fact, the Safer London Youth Survey in 2005 indicated that children as young as 11 were carrying guns and knives on a daily basis – a full 10 percent of them in fact. The question is however, even if these weapons are possessed only for the purpose of self-defense, is their easy availability contributing to a rise in their use for violence? Hate crimes, crimes of passion, and crimes out of proportion to their provocation are all on the steady rise – as evidenced by the teenager murdered for having the wrong look on his face. If these weapons were not available, would alternate weapons be sought or would the crime be given up on? Of course the only way an answer for that question can be sought is if the availability of these weapons is restricted and the evidence is had to speak for itself. It is perhaps just a perpetual cycle where more self-defense weapons lead to more crime, which in turn leads to a greater need for self defense and so on. What can be done to prevent the rise of youth violence? So is the culture of youth violence an eternally perpetual, irreversible cycle that the British society has fallen into? The answer to that is a thankful no. There are several things authorities can do, both in the short term and the long terms to help reverse this culture. To start with, gang culture needs to be broken down. Tackling a complicated network of crime, with underground roots and support systems presents a far greater policing challenge than the individual criminal would present. For example, it is common in gang culture for gangs to take on the agendas of individuals who have been reprimanded for their crimes, if only as a matter of honor. Breaking down the gang culture to the point where crimes can be considered individually on a case-by-case nature would break the problem itself down into smaller more manageable pieces. Breaking Gang Culture Of course breaking the gang culture is in itself an intricate deep-rooted issue, requiring action of its own planning. The first logical step might be to assess why these gangs are being created. If it is a reaction to social injustices, perhaps they should be tackled. If it is the natural response to a lack of education, employment and purpose, then perhaps the answer would be to reform the educational system and provide the youth engaging in these activities with an alternate outlet for their needs. In addition to tacking gang culture, preventative measures must also be implemented in parallel, particularly in neighborhoods where gang crime is particularly prevalent. Children, even teenagers are by nature both moldable and adaptable. If they are exposed to violent crime that offer great pay-off and little repercussions, perhaps they will be tempted to follow by example. But if the exposure to these crimes is limited, and in turn positive alternatives are highlighted, there is the possibility if not the complete guarantee that the budding criminal might change his or her mind. Zonal implementation on a smaller scale might be easier to implement for starting action rather than a widespread reform on a national scale. As an example, tracing down the victims and perpetrators of these crimes, isolating them from their peers and seeking to help rather than reprimand might be one way of encouraging reform rather than escape among these children and teenagers. Another challenge presented to authorities dealing with youth criminals is the fact that for these youths exiting the life of crime and then building a new life is a hurdle almost too large to tackle. For any child hoping to escape the life of crime, the authorities should have long term plans in place to help them rebuild their lives. Breaking Gun/Knife Culture The most obvious answer to breaking gun and knife culture is to restrict access to these weapons. Those selling them should ensure they are going into the hands of legal, responsible, authorized adults. Adults in turn should make sure access to these weapons is not given irresponsibly to children or that they are not left unsupervised to youth that can otherwise get unauthorized hold on them. But the underlying solution to youth violence is not perhaps eliminating access to crime but rather educating on the futility of crime. If a child commits murder by gun, knife or gang support, the fact of the matter is that even with no weapon except his or her own dangerous mind and hands, a child can commit a crime as big as murder. An uninformed child, however violent in his or her intentions, has the potential of reforming if so educated. If nothing else, they may direct their emotions to less violent outlets. Why should a child as young as 11 require a weapon for self-defense? Who would possibly want to hurt a child that young, and with what possible motivation would a child as young as 11 or 15 want to damage somebody? The answer to that is no one. The only reason children resort to gun or knives for violence is because they have been taught its possible option as a choice. They have been taught or seen by experience that yielding a gun or using a knife is just a manifestation of the emotions that they feel, no different to calling somebody a name or throwing a punch (Rushforth and Flannery, 2009). If this concept is eliminated, so perhaps would the concept of guns and violence among the youth. In conclusion, although the obvious answer for a rise in youth violence seems to be the rise in gangs and guns, perhaps what is not so obvious is the motivating reasons behind the rise in the latter. Economic factors, unhealthy exposure, uninformed views and a general lack of positive awareness and education are all possible factors that contribute to perpetuating the cycle of crime and reactions. The problem, although steadily on the rise, has the potential of being tackled if understood and timely considered. The problem will face exponential growth if left unheeded. To put it simple, as the bond within gangs get stronger, so do their roots in society. As rivalries within gangs get longer, so does the magnitude of the crime that’s committed. And as guns and knives are used more and more irresponsibly so are becoming the children being raised with them. As complicated as the problem may be, the fact of the matter is that it is of utmost importance to tackle it because the future can only be ten times as worse as the present is, as the growth trend in the past has indicated. References Anderson, E. (1999) Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City, 1st ed. (W. Norton & Company) Blair, C. (2009). ‘I fearfor my children’ . The Independent. Available from [Accessed April 7, 2013] Bullock, K. and Tilley, N. (2002) Shootings, gangs and violent incidents in Manchester: Developing a Crime Reduction Strategy (Crime Reduction Series Paper 13). London: Home Office, obtained from www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/crrs13.pdf (accessed 7 April 2013). Ferguson, T. (1991) Modern law enforcement weapons and tactics (2nd ed), Northbrook, IL: DBI Books. Ho, T. (1994). Individual and situational determinants of the use of deadly force, American Journal of Criminal Justice, 18(1):41–60. Horowitz, R. (1983). The end of the youth gang, Criminology, 21(4):585–600. Kintrea, K. et al., (2008) Young people and territoriality in British cities (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, October 2008), p.31 M. Brewer et al., (2007) “Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2007,” Institute for Fiscal Studies: p.1 Pitts, J. (2007). Reluctant Gangsters: Youth Gangs in Waltham Forest, University of Luton. Rushforth, N.B. and Flannery, D.J. (1999) Role of firearms in youth violence. In: D.J. Flannery and C.R. Huff, Youth Violence: Prevention, intervention, and social policy (pp. 201–28). Sharp, C., Aldridge, J., and Medina, J. (2004) Delinquent youth groups and offending behavior, p.4 London: Home Office (accessed 7 April 2013) Squires, P. et all (2008). Street Weapons Commission: Guns, Knives and Street Violence. Center for Crime and Justice Studies , p.21. Roe, S. and Ashe, J. (2008) Young People and Crime: findings from the 2006 Offending, Crime and Justice Survey, Home Office Statistical Bulletin (Home Office, July 2008), p.14 T. Bennett and K. Holloway, “Gang Membership, Drugs and Crime in the UK,” British Journal of Criminology 44, no. 3 (2004): p.317 Read More