Gang Fights: The Problem and The Solution

Like so many of the problems we seem to be plagued with, gang fights can be considered a symptom of failures in society.  Our systems have failed many people, and the relative abundance of violence is a key indicator of this.  When we look at how we can prevent gang fights from happening, we have to first consider what these fights are.  Not just the fact that they involve groups of mostly younger people beating up and often killing each other, but of why they arise and what purpose they serve in the eyes of those who take part in them.  The popularity of fight videos on the internet shows that there is widespread interest.  We can only hope that this interest discourages people from themselves participating in such violent get-togethers and instead makes them realize the foolish destruction involved.  This hub will go over some of the reasons that gangs and gang fights happen and what we can do to help stop their occurence. 

A simple working definition of a gang fight is a physical confrontation between two distinct groups which may be organized along lines of race, gender, geography, socioeconomics, or a combination of these factors plus other ones.  Gangs don't have to be restricted to these categories even though they often are.  The important thing is that they are organized around some sort of unifying element, and this sense of a shared purpose of existence is what draws in gang members.  Although members are most often young males between the ages of 8 to 22, demographics of gangs are changing along with societal values.  These days, more and more women are also starting to join gangs. 

It's true that many gangs consist of ethnic minorities.  One of the reasons often given as an explanation of this is that minorities face discrimination, both real and perceived.  Joining with a group of people who often have the same perception and/or experience of the culture they live in can give gang members a feeling of belonging and understanding.  Gangs are often intimidating and kids may go in with the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality.  For too many kids, gangs are also seen as "cool".  Also, and this is especially true of impoverished areas, gang members joing to have a way to make money.  Unfortunately, the way they do so is usually through illegal, destructive, and dangerous means, such as through drug trafficking.  The initiation process is often one designed to "shame" as when women are raped by many members of the gang.  New initiates must also fight many gang members simultaneously, which amounts to getting a beating.  These rites are, consciously or not, intentionally traumatic and leave a strong psychological mark of fear.  But since all members share this, it becomes a strong bond.  With most gangs, once you are in, it's hard to get out.  There may be retributions carried out against people who wish to leave, which includes physical violence not only towards the member but also potentially towards the member's family.  For these reasons, gangs tend to take over a person's life after joining.

It would already be tragic if the negative actions of gangs only affected those directly involved, but sadly the destruction spreads far wider than just the gang.  Where legitimate institutions have failed people and are seen as ineffectual at best, unjust and sinister at worst, is where gangs will have the most power.  You need only look to that most famous (though Mexico is fast catching up) gang hotspot of Rio de Janerio, Brazil, to see the truth in this.  Here, people live in extreme poverty and have been not only neglected by the government, but brutalized by the city's police (see the great documentary "Favela Rising", available as a free download at http://www.favelarising.com/).  In this environment of destitution and injustice, gangs (with the help of police antagonism) wreak havoc with the lives of all, including every day, normal citizens.  Gangs pull in kids who would otherwise live normal lives, and no special consideration is give to innocents who are caught in a the crossfire of a gang fight.  Indeed, the violence usually affects innocent bystanders and spreads fear through communities.
      

What can we do to stop such an insidious, informal institution?  It's actually not too difficult in theory, though the reality of positive change has been a different matter.  In the short term, which means in the time that we wait for society to offer roles for all its members, education is key.  Kids need to know the truth about gangs, about the nastiness behind the veneer of glamor.  Because to a kid who feels victimized and powerless, a gang seems to hold the promise of a better life, one in which the group fights against a common oppressor. 
I believe the most important thing is that kids need to have a vision of what they can do in life that involves more than getting a big house, nice car, pretty spouse, power.  Mainly, it's about giving them the opportunity to make something of themselves.  Right now, choices seem very limited- it's go to school, get good grades so you can get a good job, etc.  Kids need so much more than this sort of dead-end vision of life.  Oftentimes they see their parents working hard with little reward, and rightly can't see following in the same footsteps.  Life can seem really hopeless for kids in such situations- things are bad, but the future doesn't look good, either.  It's often these desperate circumstances, combined with the foolish courage and recklessness of youth, that lead to confrontations that leave people dead and injured.  In the aforementioned documentary "Favela Rising", we see a glimpse of this in the grass-roots organizing that is started by a few individuals.  They start after-school programs for kids.  Music is a key component of these programs, which gives kids an outlet for their energies.  It's breathtaking to see how the power of music can be the cause of great transformation.  Kids are given an alternative to gangs, and they are able to take pride in developing their skills and working in harmony to create a thing of beauty.  We have to realize as a people that gangs and gang fights are a symptom of greater failures, and that we have the power to change.  The movie "Favela Rising" shows how it takes just a few committed individuals with heart and good ideas to get the task done.