Gang Violence
Valdez (2009) states that the factors contributing to crimes and violence amongst the youth include migration, bad media influence, demographics, family environment, poverty, and drug abuse. In most of these cases, while committing crime or violence, the youth have no idea of the impending consequence of their actions. Therefore, considering that gangs are mostly composed of youths with a broken normal social lifestyle, it is easy for gang members to commit acts of violence. According to Hennigan & Spanovic (2012), the gang psychology mentality influences gang members to adopt exotic behaviors based on emotional reasoning instead of rational thinking, thus making it easier for gang members to resort to violence as solutions to their problems.
In one study conducted by Alaine & Wood (2010) to investigate gang dynamics, the study compared the likelihoods of gang members, peripheral youths, and non-gang members to immoral, delinquent, and violent behaviors. Among the three groups, the study established that gang members are the most reckless, delinquent, violent, and often blame their victims for their actions. Therefore, it is easier for gang members to commit violence or crimes. However, the big question is, why? Don’t gang members understand the consequences of their actions, as Valdez suggests?
In conformity to Valdez’s gang psychology claims, various group psychological theories describe how group members act without thinking. For instance, the social identity theory and the Extended Social Identity Model (ESIM) describes the deindividuation effects of groups. Richard Stott, a renowned psychologist who developed the ESIM model of crowd psychology, applies the group/herd mentality in explaining crowds’ psychology. The model states that individuals in a group identify more with the group rather than their personalities, qualities, or characteristics (Stott, 2009). They lose their self-awareness; hence Veldez’s claims that gangs psychology precludes individual gang members from understanding their consequences is justifiable considering that violence is typically committed as a group.
References
Alleyne, E., & Wood, J. L. (2010). Gang involvement: psychological and behavioral characteristics of gang members, peripheral youth, and non-gang youth. Aggressive behavior, 36(6), 423–436. Retrieved from, https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20360
Hennigan, K., & Spanovic, M. (2012). Gang dynamics through the lens of social identity theory. In Youth gangs in international perspective (pp. 127-149). Springer, New York, NY.
Stott, C. (2009). Crowd Psychology & Public Order Policing: An Overview of Scientific Theory and Evidence. Bedford Street South Liverpool: HMIC.
Valdez, A. (2009). Gangs: A guide to understanding street gangs. Law Tech Publishing.