Gang

For other uses of the word, see Gang (disambiguation).

A gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity and, in current usage, engage in illegal activities. Historically the term referred to both criminal groups and ordinary groups of friends, such as Our Gang. Some anthropologists believe that the gang structure is one of the most ancient forms of human organizations .

Some commentators use "gang" to refer to small, informal, and disorganized "street gangs", while "syndicate" or "organized crime" are used to refer to larger, more powerful organizations, such as the Italian-American Mafia, which may control entire legitimate businesses as "fronts" for their illegal operations, bringing in millions of dollars per year.

The word "gang" generally appears in a pejorative context, though within "the gang" itself members may adopt the phrase in proud identity or defiance.

Gang members

Frequently, the members of a street gang are only in their teens, a result of early exposure to drugs and violence, and the short life expectancy associated with a "gang-banging" lifestyle. Entry into a gang often entails being "jumped in", where other members beat up the recruit in order to test his dedication. Sometimes the recruit may be given a crime to commit (robbery, rape, or murder) as another route of entry. Often, the decision to join a gang is purely practical, where the danger of being unaffiliated, and thus unprotected, outweighs the risks of gangbanging. Unfortunately, this perpetuates a vicious cycle, only contributing to the violence and corruption of a neighborhood. Other temptations to join a gang also exist: money, drugs, power, and pride for the neighborhood. Although the gang's very existence harms the community, members take great pride in "defending" their local turf. Usually a new gang recruit has to be canonized, cannon meaning muscle, has to be in a fight with usually joining by: one, proving his/herself by being beaten up; or two, betaing up their opponents.

Once in the gang, the recruit is now a member of the street family, and any offense towards him or any of his brethren will be retaliated against strongly by the gang. They are often given nicknames, partially to prevent their identity from being revealed. Younger members may start out performing minor crimes, working their way up within the organization, building their reputation through criminal acts. Common gang activities include dealing drugs, extortion, robbery, and war with rival gangs. Because of these "do or die" situations, morality is almost always pushed onto the back burner. Murder is not taboo, and is in fact lauded by fellow gang members, adding to the reputation. Usually the member is affiliated for life, with two unfavorable options for exiting the gang: one, he may be killed; two, he may desert the gang, essentially forfeiting his life if any of the gang should see him again.

Gang warfare

Gang warfare is the conflict between opposing gangs.

Gang warfare is commonly held over turf boundary disputes, the takeover of an area in order to bring in narcotics to push on the streets, personal rivalries, or simply the fact that the opposing group is different in some way. Gang warfare takes a huge toll on cities, families, and communities involved, especially many cities in South/Central America and South Africa where the levels of gang violence have long since dwarfed even American cities.

See also

• Gang violence

External links

• Know Gangs detailed information about gangs
• MS-13 News and Analysis
• National Young Lords Brief notes on the Young Lord origins