Classification of Gangs free essay sample

The problem of classifying gangs has interested both sociologists and law enforcement. For the purpose of law enforcement, a gang is generally defined as an organized group among the members of which there is well-designed communication. This paper evaluates classification schemes from current research for gangs. The objective is to discover the issues and problems in creating classifications for gangs including a definition which delineates what constitutes a gang and differentiates it from other social and sports groups. The paper also compares approaches to classifications of gangs and evaluates how these classifications provide specific insights or information about gangs in a community. Discussion In order to evaluate classification of gangs, the foremost task is to determine difference between a gang and a team. A team is a group of individuals who partners for a common (Egan Beadman, 2011). The concept of team is mainly used in organization and sports to describe a group of people working or playing together. We will write a custom essay sample on Classification of Gangs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A team is rather formal, structured and has the following three characteristics: i.  the team members know: each member has a role and tasks defined; ii. team members are interdependent ; iii. teams have set a schedule and terms clear From a sociological point of view, a team needs to meet at regular intervals. As an illustration, the frequency of business meetings may be daily or bi-weekly in teams of sales. On the other hand, researches like Decker Curry (2002) define a gang as a group of individuals sharing a common culture and common values, caused by their association and the social and urban areas where they live. One of their characteristics is their readiness to use violence against other gangs or almost anyone (Pyrooz Decker, 2011). They engage in criminal activities and peer recognition is carried out through incarceration and socialization through the norms in the gang. A gang is different from other social sports in that gang members are inclined towards criminal activity. This group of gangs is more advanced, and whenever provoked they retaliate. They are commonly found in US- Mexico border. Classification approaches towards gangs are generally carried out  according to the structure of the gang, their respective membership, and even on the basis of their ethnicity. Pyrooz Decker, (2011) have identified three forms of gangs which are named as; street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs and prison gangs. In this method of classification, local street gangs are termed as the ones which occur most frequently at the community level. These are the forms of gangs which engage in drug related crimes and violence. According to Pyrooz Decker, (2011), majority of street gangs are inherently based at local level and they tend to operate in single locations. Prison gangs are described as those whose networks are structured to a high degree and they tend to operate within prison systems. In addition, members of these gangs are the ones who have been released from prison (Hegemann, Smith, Barbaro, 2011). With respect to law enforcement, these gangs are the most challenging to deal with. Membership of prison gangs is usually composed of fewer than fifty members. Another approach towards classification of gangs is carried out according to the life of the gangs. These gangs are termed as scavenger gangs, territorial gangs and organized gangs. Scavenger gangs have little structure and their size is also small. School gangs are one frequently found instance of scavenger gangs. Their ethnic composition is multi-ethnic and the age of members is mostly in teens (Hegemann, Smith, Barbaro, 2011). Their confrontation is generally with rival school gangs or other gangs in the territory. Having no specified objective, some of the activities of such gangs are anti-social. In comparison, territorial gangs are characterized by a specified territory demarcated by the control of the gang. These gangs tend to carry out illegal activities for monetary purpose and are very particular about protection of their territory from any rivalry or threat. Organized gangs, on the other hand, are lead by a strong leadership and tend to be highly structural in nature. Promotion takes place within the gangs on the basis of one’s performance. Conclusion The paper discussed classification of gangs and classification schemes from current research for gangs. The objective was to discover the issues and problems in creating classifications for gangs including a definition which delineates what constitutes a gang and differentiates it from teams. The paper also compared approaches to classifications of gangs. It is concluded that gangs are classified according to the structure of the gang, their respective membership, and even on the basis of their ethnicity. These classifications are found to be highly useful with respect to devising strategies for dealing with them.