Question

How does pathways theory explain women’s gang involvement? What are some pathways to gang involvement for young women? What are the ways out of the gang for young women?

Answer 1

Pathways Theory emphasizes women’s backgrounds which inspire them involving in crimes and gangs, common causes are survival, child abuse, partner abuse.Thus young women shaping themselves by life experiences leads different pathways like victimization to crime and gang involvement. Gang?involvement of young women are extremely into crimes and violence. Turning point in the lives of young women involves changes in emotions, attitudes, activities and these associated with gang membership leads to illegal activities.

Past experiences of personal abuse, mental illness, lack of basic needs, social distress, financial problmes, childhood victimization and adult offending behavior are th risk factors impacting young women and encouraging them to join gangs. Accumulation of risk factors in multiple areas increases gang joining.

However, all the young women who experience these factors may or maynot become gang involved. The ways out of gang for young women invloves assuring safety, providing solutions to the problems they are facing, realising family responsibility, emotional changes for better life, self growth, creating awareness about benefits of education,employeement, influence of wisdom and knowledge by age, motivating behaviors for better understanding of life of an independent individual.