Gang violence (Essay Sample)

Summary
This is a two page paper on the gang violence in the United States. This paper summarizes statistics and literature on gang violence, crime and activities from four articles. The paper outlines what the statistics and literature about gang violence imply, and how they will help in writing a research proposal on the same. The paper relies on four sources and is in APA format.
Running head: GANG VIOLENCE
Gang Violence
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Gang Violence
Introduction
The majority of notorious gangs are found within the impoverished sections of Chicago, New York and Los Angeles cities (National Center for Victims of Crime, 2011). However, gang activities are not limited within these three cities, but are spread in the rural areas and the suburbs. According to National Gang Intelligence Centre (NGIC), gangs are evolving and expanding and this poses an increased threat to the safety of the United States public (FBI, 2011). Gangs are becoming more violent since the latest technology allows them to develop complex criminal networks that facilitate the international and transnational trafficking of illicit drugs. Gang violence is not limited to higher risk crime, but in other lower cadres such as white-collar crime and prostitution. Gangs have become more sophisticated, organized, opportunistic and adaptable and are utilizing the latest technology to recruit, perpetuate criminal activities, target rivals and communicate discretely.
Gang Statistics
According to NGIC, gang membership has increased since 2009, as the current number of prison, active street gangs and Outlaw Motorcycle (OMGs) gangs is estimated to have reached 1.4 million. The total number of gangs in the US is approximately 33, 000 and membership has risen significantly in the Southeastern and Northeast regions (FBI, 2011). There is also a drastic rise in the ethnic gangs such as Asian, African, Eurasian and Caribbean gangs. The latest figure is a 40 percent increase from the 2009 estimated number of 1 million gang members (FBI, 2011). According to NGIC, this increase is attributed to aggressive recruitment by gangs through the social media, increased opportunities for drug trafficking and improved communication (FBI, 2011).
Gang Violence
Gang related violence and crime is on the rise across many American communities. According to NGIC, in most jurisdictions, gang members are to blame for about 48 percent of violent crimes committed. In some states such as Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas, Arizona, Colorado and California, gangs are blamed for over 90 percent of crimes committed (FBI, 2011). A comparison between NGIC 2010 gang data and FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) violent crime data of 2009, shows that places such as Florida, Texas that experience most violent crimes, also have a higher presence of gangs (FBI, 2011). The rise in gang violence is as a result of conflicts among gangs as they fight over drug distribution territories, gang migration into rivals’ territory and the return of imprisoned members into the society.
The National Youth Gang Survey report shows that majority of gang violence is found within suburban counties and larger cities, and the gangs accounted for over 96 percent of 2009 gang homicides (FBI, 2011). In most jurisdictions, juvenile violence and gangs are on the rise and this is attributed to the aggressive recruitment in schools. The youths are targeted by gangs because they are more vulnerable and susceptible to the recruitment tactics. They are also more willing to engage in crime and get off with shorter sentences if caught. For example, in 2009, teen gang violence was blamed for the loss of 37 lives and 290 shootings in Chicago schools, which is sharp increase since 2006 (Simpson, 2009).
Data Sources and Interpretation
The data sources reveal there is a significant presence of gangs in most jurisdictions and they are responsible for most gang related violence and crime. It is also evident from the data that gang membership is expanding nationwide and this attributed to the advanced technology that facilitates massive recruitment and easier communication. The data also reveals that aggressiv...