The Key Reason Behind Joining Gangs In America

Reaction 4 PaperStudent’s NameInstitution of LearningReaction 4 PaperOne of the reasons for people joining gangs is the rare opportunity to acquire a status in society that was impossible to enjoy legitimately. Therefore, such individuals have no choice but to obtain the status through the illegitimate means of gang membership. According to Hesketh (2019), being a gang member can offer young men a route to manhood as well as a high social status. These young men may also desire to impress women and thus join the gangs to probe their manhood. If they had a status in society and felt recognized, they would not need to join gangs. If the person was neglected by family members or suffered abuse, their self-esteem might reduce. To feel appreciated and important again, the person may decide to join a gang. They believe that as a gang member, they will earn more respect from society through intimidating other people. There are, however, some experts who disagree with the notion that individuals join gangs to seek a social status that they could not get legitimately.