Gang violence in communities is a complex social issue that affects every member of the community. Gang violence usually leads to social insecurity. As a result, most communities have become terrified and petrified, with little knowledge on how to prevent and control gang violence. This has resulted into increased concern on how to prevent gang violence. Communities are struggling to find ways of creating safer neighborhoods by minimizing gang violence. Social amenities such as schools and Youth Support Centers are also struggling to find ways of discouraging youths from getting involved in gang activities. Police officers are also struggling to find ways of checking youth involvement in gang violence. Unfortunately, most strategies of preventing and controlling gang violence in most communities have not been successful. Thus, there is increased need to formulate and implement new ways of preventing gang violence.
Gang Violence in Communities
The main problem that will be addressed by this research is how to prevent gang violence in communities. This will include a detailed description of various ways or methods of preventing gang violence amongst communities such as community policing, sharing of critical information and management and control of social problems such as drugs abuse, youth unemployment and poverty. The target audience for this research will be members of the community and law enforcement agencies.
Who is affected by Gang Violence?
Gang violence affects all members of a community; hence it is important to develop effective ways of preventing it. Moreover, Sanders (2009) and Biscontini (2007) argue that teenagers and youths aged between seventeen and twenty-five years are most affected because of their increased involvement in gang activities. Women and children are also more affected by gang violence due to their high vulnerability as compared to men. In my opinion, gang violence is a social vice that has complex social, political and economic effects in communities.
Significance of Gang Violence Prevention
Prevention of gang violence is significant because it would help in reducing the negative impacts or consequences of gang violence such as increased crime rates, fear and intimidation of community members, increased work load within legal systems, unwarranted deaths of innocent citizens, breakdown of social structures like families and reduced economic activities.
In my view, gang violence is a multifaceted social problem whose dynamics often shift, hence it requires sophisticated approaches and solutions. The need to develop new approaches to gang violence is fueled by inadequate understanding on who is responsible for taking actions to prevent gang violence.
Proposed Solutions
In my opinion, gang violence can be prevented by engaging all members of the community when developing strategies for preventing gang violence, strengthening laws controlling gun ownership, controlling drug abuse amongst youths, clearly defining roles and responsibilities of police officers and communities in crime prevention, encouraging teenagers and youths to find alternative ways of obtaining social support other than involvement in gang activities like robbery, creation of strong social infrastructures that support efforts to prevent gang violence and changing the culture of violence in communities. Similarly, there should be clear communication and sharing of information between security agencies and members of the community in order to increase social awareness on gang violence.
In addition, the government should formulate appropriate policy frameworks to guide the development of strategies and services that prevent gang violence. The government should also increase economic resources available to youths in order to enable them carry out economic activities such as businesses, hence promoting positive youth development.
Summary
Gang violence presents a major challenge to many communities. Thus, appropriate approaches should be developed to prevent gang violence and help in minimizing its impacts in the society. Creation of supportive conditions that permit successful prevention of gang violence is also paramount. Lastly, I would argue that successful prevention of gang violence requires change in attitudes, social norms, governmental policies and social infrastructures. Every member of the society should take responsibility for preventing gang violence.
Yours sincerely,