Female roles within street gangs in U.S
Since the evolution of civilization, man has always formed groups, and sects to lead a covered life. As time passed by, the scenario changed, what turned out to be group formation for hunting during the nomadic times led to formation of groups as tribes for waging wars, and eventually in the urban times, now street gangs are formed in mostly developed cities, which are filled with crime and hate towards people other than their own gangs.
Gangs all over the world especially in the United States of America, are very often very underlined as a male dominated one, and females that were supposed to be with the gang members, were either their wives of girlfriends, and females who were seen actively involved were supposed to be for sole purposes of sex, and were labeled as “possessions”. Apart from that females in the street gangs were considered to be used as ploys or scouts. However things have changed very drastically now, and the roles of females are much more than what it was supposed to be before.
The “catch them young”, motto of gangs have been applied since the beginning of this phenomenon and now the same motto applies to female gang members as young females as who are studying in their Seventh and Eighth grade have taken active participation in gang episodes. There has been a massive change in the role call of females in street gangs, and now no. of females participating in street gangs have raised, which is evident from the following: “The role of girls in gangs is changing – they are younger, tougher, and are just as violent, sometimes more, than their male counterparts.
More troubling, their children are immersed in the chaos and violence of gangs from birth, passing down the gang legacy to yet another generation. ”(Courtesy: Mike Carlie, PhD, Into the Abyss: A personal Journey into the world of Street Gangs. Retrieved on February 9th 2008 from site faculty. missouristate. edu/M/… /GANGS/gender_composition. htm) Females in street gangs still have a major role to play as exclusive sex toys for the gang members, which ultimately brands them as sexual objects which can be only used by members of a particular gang.
Slowly but surely the status of the females started rising in the trend of street gangs, which ultimately led to the diversification female status in street gangs, which are mainly female back up gangs which have affiliation with male gangs, then there are the mixed sex gangs, where male and female members have the same status and respect within the gang, and thirdly which is till currently less but rising at an alarming rate is the all independent female gangs.
Because of this type of diversification the offence rate and the type of offences have matched that of male gang members. Though the rate of offences conducted by the male gang members are still very higher than their female counterparts, but the bridge is surely narrowing. However the major role of females in gangs apart from sex objects is drug peddling, but it is also actively involved in crimes of the likes of homicide, violent activities, battery charges and prostitution along with weapon and property charges.
Female’s roles have changed a lot in last fifteen years or so, and females are moving at stupendous speeds towards organized crimes. The major issues for females to join gangs, is because of economic and finance problems at home, also physical and sexual abuse at home also is one of the major reasons to take up crimes and join street gangs. In researchers have proven the point that females of this nature commit the same crimes that are done by male members, it is only the frequency or the occurrence is considered to be less.
Female gangs and crimes committed by females can no longer be taken as one of the incidents which can be evident from the following: “’Make no mistake, these girls are not girl scouts, they are not as organized as established male gangs, but they are getting close” (Courtesy: Lieutenant Gary French, commander of the Boston Police’s Youth Violence Strike Force, Retrieved on February 9th 2008 from site faculty. missouristate. edu/M/… /GANGS/gender_composition. htm)
Females in gangs follow what is known as the gang’s code of dressing, which would include having same tattoos, same hair color and same dressing style. The system of gangs have always incorporated a sense of brotherhood and family towards its members, and females who enter these gangs want to take refuge away from their homes and schools, and that is why females today who are joining gangs and are ready to go at any level to connect to the gangs;many of them are willing to take tests like group sex with gang members or doing burglary just to prove their mettle.
The roles of females in the coming times in street gangs are more like to change for the worse, and females will be involved in more and more gruesome crimes, because of the new ideologies of male gang members that females who are caught are generally given a relaxed sentence compared to their male counterparts. Reference: 1) Mike Carlie, PhD, Into the Abyss: A personal Journey into the world of Street Gangs, faculty. missouristate. edu/M/… /GANGS/gender_composition. htm
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