Question

Gang members are getting older and the majority of them are now legal adults. Why is the happening, and how does this aging of gang members affect gang activity in general? Do you feel this trend will continue? Please explain

Answer 1

Gang formations are the natural consequence of the economic and social dislocation that occurred when the economy shifted from a relatively high-paying manufacturing to low-wage service economy. Gangs have been categorized by their dominant activity: some are devoted to violence and to protecting neighborhood boundaries, or turf; othersare devoted to theft; some specialize in drug trafficking; others are concerned with recreation rather than crime. The ages of gang members range widely, perhaps from as young as eight to as old as fifty-five. Gang experts believe the average age of gang members has been increasing yearly, a phenomenon explained in part by the changing structure of the U.S. economy. Gang members are getting older and the majority of them are now legal adults and studies found that the inability of inner-city males to obtain adequate jobs means that they cannot afford to marry and raise families. The majority of these adults that have lived an entire life of gang and violence haven't developed the proper social skills to function in normal society, many struggle to find jobs because of a criminal record or appearance. As adults, they find themselves havingmore responsibilities, such as paying rent and having children and with the limited options of living a productive life, they fall back to the only thing they know best, the gang lifestyle. I do believe this trend will continue, due to the fact that our society is veryharsh and doesn't provide many opportunities for these individuals. We have such an increase on drug use and delinquency that the numbers of individuals who fall into this lifestyle will fall into a cycle of recidivism and continue to find support in their gang and not break away from this lifestyle, even in their older years of life.