I lived in San Juan Capistrano for a while, and my mom worked all day so my brothers and I were alone most of the time with my aunt and cousins. Shortly after moving to San Juan, three of my brothers became involved in a gang. It wasn’t surprising to my family because there is a lot of gang activity where we lived and their friends where in the gang as well. My brother always tells me that he joined the gang because the leader was a father figure to him and that they are family to him. Two of my brothers died because of a shooting and one of my brothers is in jail right now. I think if my aunt, mom, or dad where around more, my brothers wouldn’t have chosen that path and right now they would be alive and out of jail. Teens join a gang because they want a sense of belonging and they also gain a sense of parental guidance. Opponents against stopping teens from joining gangs say teen want to feel like the most powerful in the neighborhood and they want financial reward from the tasks they do. And teens join gangs because they want to feel like they have power and no one could harm them. Even if you’re considered the most powerful person, you can still be harmed or killed and gangs are always looking for trouble to start. “Gangs are merely looking for additional members in order to boost its reputation as the biggest and most powerful in the neighborhood” (National Prevention Council 3). Teens join gangs because they want to get money and get more drugs. Teen gangsters are forced to do tasks that the other gang members know they will get killed or in trouble for. “Gang members can threaten to kill one of their family members if they don’t do something for them or even might kill them” (Gang Alternative Program 2).
Teens join gangs because they want a sense of belonging also because they haven’t experienced unconditional love. Gangs can be dysfunctional as well , “Gangs form as a substitute for having no family or for h...