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Samuel Zeng
Mrs. McKinley
Honors English 2
April 11, 2014
The Effects of Gang Violence
Stanley Tookie Williams, a surviving cofounder of the Crips, feelings towards gangs
are represented by this quote Dont join a gang. You wont find what youre looking for. All
you will find is trouble, pain, and sadness. I know. I did. Gangs are not all what they are cut out
to be. Those that join gangs do not find what they are looking for. They only find pain, burden,
and despair. Gang violence is not only detrimental to those involved but to society and the
government.
The people that are directly involved with gang violence experience emotional, physical,
and psychological trauma. The total number of gang homicides reported by respondents in the
NYGS sample averaged more than 1,900 annually from 2007 to 2011 (NYGS). Being the
member of a gang comes with a hefty set of conditions. Gang members are in relentless danger
of being killed or being jailed for their crimes. The jail sentences for gang members are
dependent on the crimes committed.. These punishments could never amount to the loss of ones
life. The witnesses of gang violence often times experience trauma and emotional shock after
the events occur (Gedatus). Gang violence typically involves a shooting or another act of
violence. These events incite fear and a change in perspective for the witnesses. The idea that
the public is safe one hundred percent of the time is disproved. Most of the emotional shock is
caused by the realization by witnesses that they are not always safe going out in public. The
families of gang members can also be affected by gang activities. The most common effect of
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gang violence on family members is grief (Gedatus). The families feel responsible for the
actions of their gang family members. The feeling that they could have done more to keep their
family member out of a gang causes constant grief. Knowing that one of your family members is
selling drugs, participating in human trafficking, or in constant danger is frightening. These
feelings of grief can be so overwhelming that family members are led into a life of depression or
denial. The people that are directly involved in gangs or gang violence are not the only ones
affected by the violence.
Society pays a hefty price for the gang violence and the gang members. More than a
decade ago, the total medical cost of gang violence in Los Angeles County alone was estimated
to exceed $1 billion dollars (Hutson, Anglin, and Mallon, 1992). This statistic displays the
immense price that society has to pay for gang-related violence. One billion dollars is a large
sum of money that could have gone to a cause for the betterment of society. Instead of that
money being used to build homes for the homeless or providing food to the hungry, the money is
being used for gang-related injuries. Gangs are not contained to the streets; many schools report
the presence of gangs. Teachers and students of schools with gangs have to live in an
environment consumed by fear (Gedatus). This uneasy environment does not promote learning
and the betterment of the students. The presence of gangs in schools prevents teachers from
teaching and students from learning. Society has to pay the price for the actions of gang
members.
The government is responsible for controlling and preventing gang violence. Taxpayer
money is used to deal with gangs and gang violence. The government must appropriate the
money for effective ways to control gangs and gang violence (Howell). Programs for gang
members cost the government millions of dollars. These programs can be for the purpose of:
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helping current gang members, preventing teenagers from joining gangs, and assisting those
directly affected by gang violence. These programs serve the purpose of preventing gang
violence. The police department and the FBI control gang violence in the United States. These
departments cost the government a tremendous amount of money and the lives of several
policeman and agents every year. The government has to take precautions to control gangs and
the violence caused by them.
Gang violence is destructive to those directly involved, our society, and the government.
The people that are directly involved with gangs and gang violence experience physical,
emotional, and psychological trauma. The presence of gangs a hostile environment in society.
This environment hinders progress, which is necessary for success. The government spends
billions of dollars to prevent control gang violence in America. The effects of gang violence are
harmful to everyone.











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Work Cited:
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Gedatus, Gustav Mark. Gangs and Violence. Mankato: LifeMatters, 2000. Print.
Howell, James C. "The Impact of Gangs on Communities." National Gang Center. Institute for
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<http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/content/documents/impact-of-gangs-on-
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Stark, Evan. Everything You Need to Know about Street Gangs. New York: Rosen Pub. Group,
1995.