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Gangs
hey guys i really need help with this question. "Why do gangs exist?". i have looked everywhere but i cannont find a specific answer to this question. Any answers are fine.
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Gangs exist for a number of reasons. On a very fundamental level they appeal to our tribal instincts. Humans have always loved to split themselves off into groups, and these groups have always competed. Gangs can give a very strong sense of belonging. Chimps behave the same way... so do children (boys at least) from a very young age.
Secondly, there might be the need to be in a gang. For example you might live in a bad neighbourhood or school, and forming such a group may be neccessary to survive or to provide security.
Third, its a way to gain respect or to be feared. It gives the members a sense of power and they feel protected by the group. It can be nice to know that you have a number of people that will take your side without question.
Now if you ask me, I think that gangs are just the smallest unit, but the instinct and need to form groups is inherent in most people. If not part of a gang, then perhaps they are fanatical followers of their state football team. We have always defined these groups throughout time.
"Us" vs the guys on the other side of the river. "Us" vs blacks, "us" vs women, "us" vs animals, and also "us" vs other nations. The whole concept of patriotism (which is a far far more recent a concept than people think) was created as an extension of this need to belong as a way to get people to enlist in the army. You barely need to blink and the average human has defined some arbitrary group which he will try to make better than some other arbitrarily defined group.
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Well, I'm no professional, but I am very fascinated by gangs myself, since I don't live in an area where they are very prevalent.
To my knowledge, gangs mostly form because of a need for brotherhood or family. Most or all of gang members come from broken homes, with little parental support / involvement, education, opportunities, or feeling of self-worth. Basically, gangs are kind of the equivalent of teen pregnancy, but for guys. (Not to say that girls aren't found in gangs, but most of the time it is mostly male.) Many minority gangs, such as Crips or MS-13, are stemmed from feelings of hostility, non-acceptance in society, or vengeance toward the government. So they ban together, commit crimes, and create for themselves a feeling of unity, power, or invincibility that they were unable to find in their homes.
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