Can Gangs Really Replace Family?

It seems like gangs are growing bigger and bolder each day. We read it in the newspapers and hear it on the news. There are drive-by shootings, robberies and drugs. It's out of control, yet nobody appears to know how to control things. Gangs serve no positive purpose and only destroy lives. The gang members usually start in a gang because they crave a sense of belonging. There's something missing in their lives and they hope to find it in a gang. It's the family they don't have.

How sad that a child or teen is driven to such desperation just because they're lonely and in need of attention. From the data and reports on the news, most kids who join gangs are from low income, broken families. With only one parent who probably has to work or in worse case scenarios, is addicted to alcohol or drugs, they child simply isn't receiving the parental care they need. That neglect causes them to seek out a place where they'll feel important and wanted. It doesn't seem to matter that they'll need to turn to a life of crime to fit in. This could be either because they've lived around crime their whole life or they overlook it.

The violence of gangs is so pervasive in society and affects not only the victims, but their families. Even with special task forces assigned solely to gang prevention and intervention, gangs are growing. They even operate from behind the walls of prison. Leaders can cut deals and order executions from prison, and the police are apparently powerless to prevent it. Gangs use well known signs, symbols and colors to acknowledge one another, so why is it so hard to eliminate them and why do people still want to join?

Part of the reason for the increase and continuance of the gangs probably stems from the fact that the family unit shows no signs of getting fixed. Until fathers take on the responsibility of parent hood and mothers realize how important it is to raise their children with proper morals and ethics, gangs will continue to stay around. It's up to society and parents to install a sense of belonging and see that children stay in school to receive a solid education. With education, children can grow up to get a decent job, thereby eliminating the need to turn to crime. It doesn't necessarily matter if the parents are divorced or not, so long as they both take an active part in their children's lives.