Plenty of youth turns to gangs because they think it’ll enhance their life but really it could get them locked up for life or put them six feet under. The Outsiders represents the idea of groupthink by taking away the individuality of the Outsiders and becoming part of a gang. Some ways that the Outsiders and The Other Wes Moore demonstrate groupthink is with lack of parental structure, their neighborhood, a sense of belonging, their social status, protection and their general well being, and opportunities for them to make money.
Lots of teens join gangs due to a lack of parental structure or none at all. In The Outsiders it states “since mom and dad were killed in an auto wreck, the three of us get to stay together…:” These boys have no parental supervision since both of their parents were killed. No one to look out after them and make sure they are doing good in school and staying out of gangs. With no parental supervision for these boys they have free reign to do whatever, whenever they want. Another example of lack of parental support is in “The Other Wes Moore,” which states “They didn’t speak for the rest of the night. One month later, Joy and Nikki were packed up. Together, they left bill for good.”
This is the side of the story from the Wes Moore that ended up in prison for killing a security guard. He only had one parent from the age of three and that could contribute to why he joined a gang at such a young age. His single mother was always working trying to keep a roof over their head that she barely had any time to make sure her boy was behaving. This can also be turned around, Not all gang members come from broken homes. there are kids who join gangs because gangs provide something their home life was lacking, a sense of structure and discipline. There are kids who prefer the predictability of being in a gang as opposed to the unpredictability of a parent who might be high or drunk. Not that gangs are a good thing for society but that can be good for an individual, they still are not good for individuals but they can fill a void or an uncertainty left by absent parents.
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A lot of kids end up in gangs due to their neighborhood they grow up in, The live in a lower class area that that lack extracurricular activities to keep kids busy. attract more gang activity. This makes it significantly easier for youth to come in contact with situations that would influence them to join a gang. For example In “The Outsiders it states, “We get jumped by the socs. I’m not sure how you spell it, but it’s the abbreviation for the socials, the jet set, the west side rich kids. It’s like the term “greaser,” Which is used to call all us boys on the east side.”(Hinton 1) gangs are often created by neighborhoods and their boundaries. When kids interact with gang members they can be coerced or see them as enticing and join. Another example of how neighborhoods affect gang development is “Many young males have to make peace with local gangs to go to school, work or merely walk down a street in their neighborhood.
Each gang has a leader, and sometimes other officers. Drug gangs are different from other kinds of gangs. They are much more organized, and much more dangerous. They are responsible for the distribution of illegal drugs from marijuana to cocaine and heroin to methamphetamine Gang members are required to sell drugs, carrying drugs and large amounts of cash and to protect dealers and other gang members from police or rival gangs.”(Missouristate 1) Kids shouldn’t have to interact with gangs on their way to school to feel safe but that’s what they do to make it to wherever they’re going.
Some people join gangs for a “Sense of belonging” or to occupy their time; they feel like their alone and a gang is like a brotherhood. It’s not but can be perceived as by outside eyes.
