Why Do Kids Join Gangs?
I think that in our modern society there are many different reasons that kids join gangs but I believe that the three main reasons are: friends joining, status/popularity, and a sense of belong.
Lets say your best friend joins a gang of older teenagers who happen to smoke. Would you join this gang? Now you would probally say no but what if your best friend asked and pleaded would you still say no? Friends pressuring other friends I think is a big problem when it comes to joining gangs.
The popular girl comes up to you and asks you to join a gang because it would make you cool and popular. Most people care a lot about their status and popularity especially in highschool and a lot of people would jump at the chance to be popular. Some people would even do anything including maybe even joining a gang even if you don't agree with what that gang says or does. This I also believe is a big problem today for kids joining gangs.
Now this I believe is the biggest reason that kids joining gangs. It is so they can have a sense of belonging. Sometimes, even if it's the wrong type of gang, it can give a kid a sense of belonging almost like a family. For example in the Outsiders, the Greasers are like a family. They help each other out, defend each other, and even provide each other with a sense of beolnging (some of them don't even have families) and home.
These I believe are the main reasons today (and even on some occasions in the 1960s) that kids and teenagers join gangs to this very day.