Senior Capstone ℅ 2019

5-24-2019

Gang Violence: An Autoethnography

Frank Antonio Guzman

Los Angeles Leadership Academy HS, fguzman100605@laleadership.org
Gang Violence ​Guzman 1

Senior Capstone ℅ 2019

Abstract

In this research paper, I will be discussing the issues that some community experience and how

they are affected both mentally as well as physically. My main topic revolves around social

conformity which is the need to fit in a group. Moreover, my main question is how gangs affect

communities and those living in the area and the long term effect it leaves. In addition to this, I

will be using sources from books from famous authors such as Vigil, James Diego and sources

from organization such as National Gang Center to help better illustrate the gang population.

Additionally, I will also be using a source from ​New York Time. ​to help readers understand

social conformity a bit more. Upon examining the concept of social conformity on youth living

in gang communities, it is clear that those who live in gang areas face negative barriers such as

the lack in academic capability, and an increase in social/psychological disorder. In conclusion,

it is certain that youth living in gang areas are negatively affected both mentally as well as

physically. I believe gangs should be looked at a bit more and be a bigger concern as well as

help those affected rather than giving up as rehabilitation is possible.

Keywords: ​Urban Sociology, Underclass, Urban Violence, Low Income,

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Acknowledgements
I want to thank Ms.Estrada for opening my mind to many intellectual ideas. I would also love to

give thanks to my parents who have also been supportive on me towards education. I would

love to give thanks to those who ever doubted my ability to achieve the first step of success into

this new adult life, your hate and doubt was the fuel to my success. Moreover, I would love to

thank Ms. Wirtz for everything she has ever done for me since I was a sophomore. I would also

love to give Mr. Barrera thanks for helping me prepare myself for the actual world by testing

the advisory with questions everyday. I learned something new from him everyday while

attending his class.

Gang Violence ​Guzman 3

Gang Violence: An Autoethnography

Frank Antonio Guzman

Los Angeles Leadership Academy HS, Los Angeles, California, USA

In this research paper, I will be discussing the issues that some community experience and how

they are affected both mentally as well as physically. My main topic revolves around social

conformity which is the need to fit in a group. Moreover, my main question is how gangs affect

communities and those living in the area and the long term effect it leaves. In addition to this, I

will be using sources from books from famous authors such as Vigil, James Diego and sources

from organization such as National Gang Center to help better illustrate the gang population.

Additionally, I will also be using a source from New York Time. to help readers understand

social conformity a bit more. Upon examining the concept of social conformity on youth living

in gang communities, it is clear that those who live in gang areas face negative barriers such as

the lack in academic capability, and an increase in social/psychological disorder. In

conclusion, it is certain that youth living in gang areas are negatively affected both mentally as

well as physically. I believe gangs should be looked at a bit more and be a bigger concern as

well as help those affected rather than giving up as rehabilitation is possible.

The Incident

Snoop Dogg once quoted, “It’s so easy for kids to join a gang, to do drugs...we should

make it that easy to be involved in football and academics.” We tend to remember preternatural
Gang Violence ​Guzman 4

kairos or anything indelible to our consciousness, but some can be pessimistic. The beauty of

the bright white gleaming moon in the dark shadowy neighborhood, shadows can be seen

“protecting” and walking around what they love to call “their hood.” Numbness both on my feet

and hands, the blood rushes through my heart to keep it warm while pumping oxygen

simultaneously to keep me balanced on this majestic contraction I call “bicycle.” The sudden

vibration of my phone compels me to stop in a instance, which did not leave me flabbergasted

as it was an anticipated phone call. “Donde estas mijo!!!” I hear my mom scream over the

phone while looking at the time, in addition to this, I hear a loud screech and begin to smell the

burning rubber in the proximity instantly. Like any mammal, my instinct was to defend myself

against this unknown entity which set off a trepidation within me. Like clowns in a little car, I

see six people hop off all looking intimidating with their all dark outfit and lack of any skin

being visible brings the worst questions to mind. I move the phone away from my mouth still

hearing the trembling voice within my mother, but my mind is too frozen to understand

anything for what it is. All of a sudden this loud screaming voice snaps me out of my frozen

conscientiousness, in a instance I respond, “I’m not from anywhere” unknowingly knowing

what was being screamed or said, but I knew enough to know the words that will come out. The

first words I catched clearly by one of my antagonist were “You kick it with Eastlake,” not

letting me reply, he goes on picking his saggy pants up while taking both his sweater as well as

his shirt off exposing only visible skin on his torso which are filled with multiple tattoos

throughout his body. “Let’s see what you levas are about”. Now seeing what has already been

said, this fight is inevitable and his presence is now getting closer. I scented a familiar smell

which only got stronger as one man approached me while the rest stayed back to watch. Is this a
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game to them, to play with their life as well as others? Unable to balance correctly, I now see

the state in which they are all in.

Analysis

Introduction

Gangs have always been an issue in “ghetto” areas, but to their extent, their

behavior and doing is causing harm to individuals living in the proximity, specifically

teens who are affected academically, socially, as well as psychologically. With this,

drawbacks are being set for communities which are not allowing many to get out this

endless cycle of violence.

Study of Focus

The study of focus for this paper is the effect gangs has towards teens and their

behavior and how it ideally changes their life. In addition, I also want to see the impact

it has on how one thinks both outside in the streets as well as inside schools, home, or

any place one tends to socialize in with others. Gang number are increasing everyday

resulting in more violence as well as issues towards teens.

Upon examining the concept of social conformity on youth living in gang

communities, it is clear that those who live in gang areas face negative barriers such as a

lack in academic capability, and an increase in social/psychological disorder.

Claim #1. Academic Capability.

Schools are suppose to make students feel safe around their campus so they can

focus in school, but crews and gangs are both being formed in school causing students to
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feel unsafe. The School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization survey

asked students ages 12-18 if gangs were present at their school during the school year,

and their response was surprising. A higher percentage of student from urban schools

(31 percent) reported a gang presence at their school in 2009 than students from

suburban and rural schools (17 percent and 16, respectively)(National Center for

Education Statistics, 2009). This number is an indication of how aware students are of

gangs in their school. This is a controversial issue as little conflicts in school can turn

into major conflict such as an individual plotting revenge be it after school or during

school. To be in a crew or gang, one has to involve himself to prove he is worth it, and

in this world one cannot focus on school while taking part in these illegal activities. Why

do some chose this life? According to a book titled, ​Why Americans Boys Join Street

Gangs,​ the author quotes,

All of the psychosocial histories of gang members in this study were diverse,

however there were several underlying consistent themes prevalent in each

members life history (1) frustration and anxiety stemming from family problems

such as fatherlessness, (2) sadness, frustration, and anxiety in home life (3) the

feeling that they wanted an end to the frustration (4) expression of hostility

through defiance of authority in the industry versus inferiority stage and physical

violence in the identity versus role and confusion stage of psychosocial

development and, (5) misconduct at school, mostly for fighting or bullying

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schoolmates, and (6) gang membership as a salient opportunity for peer

recognition in their immediate neighborhood and community(Taylor 2013).

There are many factors to consider when asking why one joins a gang as many issues

can result in the need to join. These two factors alone (street involvement and safety

concern) can lead to many students dropping out due to not feeling safe or not being able

to focus well, which can not just affect those in a gang, but those who live around it.

What areas are are populated the most you might ask, and to no surprise the answer is

simple, yet hard to solve. In a book called, ​Researching the Urban Dilemma:

Urbanization, Poverty, and Violence i​ t states that “A debate persists concerning the

extent to which urban violence – and in particular criminality – are correlated with

poverty or inequality”(Page 45, 2012) Consequently, an author of a documentary called

Inequality For All, quotes, “In the U.S., 42% of children who are born into poverty will

not get out. In Denmark, the figure is 25%. In Great Britain, 30%” (Reich 2013). What

does this number mean and why is it important? It is essentially important as we can

now see which areas are being affected the most and why exactly. Upon examining

these community, we now see that low income classes stay in the cycle of poverty, thus,

giving their next generation a similar life in a never ending cycle.

Claim #2. Social Disorder.

The way you interact with others depends on your experience with others, which

is why it is essential to keep an eye on an individuals well being or relationship with

Gang Violence ​Guzman 8

peers. Gangs, however, alter how you communicate with others as well as who you

decide to be with, and finally the concern it may cause towards a person.

Some of us tend to isolate ourselves from others when problems keep piling up to avoid

giving our emotions away or because some of us view it as a weakness when it comes to

dominant groups. Some of us may even chose to isolate ourselves due to the fact of

being rejected of who we are in the streets and even being targeted because of a certain

clothing or color. An example would be the result of being “hit up” myself, and how it

caused me to isolate myself from friends for their own safety. For a while, it made me

believe that I was the magnet that attracted danger anywhere I went. Consequently,

parents were also aware and concerned with gangs, which is why many parents prefer

for their kids to stay indoors now rather than outdoors in dangerous areas that stay active

due to gang activities.

Social awareness will also definitely change one’s mind and how they view both

people and the world. This will contribute to who they choose to hang out with to who

they choose to ignore, maybe to fit in or just to stay away from the problems. According

to Winton, Youth, Gang and Violence, she states, “Overall, young people appeared to

spend alarmingly little time outside school or the home. The daily routine survey,

completed by 47 young people aged between 11 and 17, revealed that an average of only

0.4 hours per day was spent outside the home either with friends or playing sport, with

very little variation according to gender.”(2005)Ideally, it is recommended to spend at

least 60 minutes a day outside if you are a kid to stay healthy, but this is not the case as

explained by Winton. For a while, my schedule was altered to protect me from the
Gang Violence ​Guzman 9

streets, all due to the fact of being “targeted specifically” or as other may know it as

“green light” or even a bounty. My schedule for the next couple of month consisted of

going to school in a car rather than doing something I enjoyed ,which is biking, and I

could not even spend much time outside as I was required to go straight home and only

home. These can cause many concerns for parents towards their children as they much

prefer to have a kid with the ability to expresses emotion and ideas openly rather than

allowing it all to pile up.

Claim #3. Psychological Disorder.

Many teens can be affected psychologically which can result in many problems

or disorders. These issues can cause Anxiety, PTSD, and Paranoia which is a result of

some traumatic event placed upon one as a kid or teen which altered his or her life.

Anxiety is a real big controversial issue, which is a sudden feeling of panic or fear, as

many in their lifetime end up having it due to a result of some sort of dilemma in their

community. Ideally, “70% of Americans will be exposed to traumatic event in their

lifetime” (Sidran Institute). This number only increases as gangs increase as well with

their violence growing against one another.

PTSD, also better known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can also occur in one

through the act of gangs. Like anxiety, PTSD is caused by a traumatic event which can

cause one to rethink about a certain event. According to Anxiety and Depression

Association of America, “Both of these are treatable, yet 36.9% recieve help

only.”(2018) That is a huge gap to think about for those who are left untreated, which
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can result in one taking action and getting a severe consequence. Take inmates as an

example, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “More than two million

people with serious mental illness are booked into jail.”(2019) If you do the math, the

other 63.1% who are left untreated can be the result of why two million people with

serious illness are kept locked up. According to a GoodTherapy, an organization who

aids individuals with disorders, has this to say about the system,​ ​“Almost 70% of people

who have been incarcerated are arrested again within three years, and the dire state of

mental health care in prisons could play a significant role in this high rate of

recidivism”(Paragraph 6, 2013). In addition to this Vigil states, “Prophetically, the tract

is presently the territory of one of the biggest gangs in the area. Ecological conditions in

the barrios of Los Angeles have not gone unchanged, of course, since those

neighborhoods were first established”(page.52, 2013).Many inmates who are released,

and the mental issue they developed in prison, can increase the risk of reoffending and

make it difficult to reenter society and its rule, which makes matters worse, those with

this condition only come back worse to the community where they expect them to

change a lifestyle dramatically.

These attributions can be the result of paranoia, which a handful of us experience

in violent areas. According to BetterHealthChannel, paranoia is a irrational and

persistent feeling that people are “out ot get you.”(​Baranyi, ​2016) The guilt feeling of

wanting to be armed at any given moment can only make the issue severe as this can

result in conflict. From looking at every car that pases you to feeling the presence of an

unknown enemy watching you. Consequently many adolescent can not avoid the
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menacing situation in the community, which is causing drastic effect on their lives such

as being really paranoid .In other words, the dangerous situation is referring to the action

of gangs to keep their hood active and guarded, which in the long run can affect the

whole life of a teen. My experience with my assailants would be a good example of how

many of us are affected by these type of actions, which in the long run changed my view

on my defense mechanism towards society. In a article published by Chris Wilson, “​Gun

Control: Americans Expect Their Opinion on Guns Widely Shared”,​ he quotes saying,

“​While there is a clear and significant correlation between how people feel about guns

and how they perceive that others feel, there is compelling evidence that this perception

influences one’s personal opinion too”(2016). In translation, ghetto areas tend to use the

phrase “Got to be strapped to stay safe” or “Never going to catch me slipping” meaning

‘I’m going to stay armed for anything’. This tendency tends to envision us by defending

ourselves heavily or dramatically.

Gang Violence ​Guzman 12

​ istribution of Gangs by Area Type, according to National Gangs Center (National

Figure 1. D

Gang Center, 2012, p.1).

Opinion

All these issues contribute to your life one way or another be it for a little while

or permanently. One bad experience may lead to the altercation of one’s childhood all

socially, academically, and psychologically. Is it only fair to say that gangs do indeed

impact one’s view on the world and others, by shaping their experience. All these are

negative barriers which does not stop one but restraint them towards a certain

achievement or goal. It is a lot deeper than just “gang banging” and violence as their is a

whole story and origin behinds one’s choice of joining a gang.

Conclusion
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Consequently, gang violence do set barriers for many living within the area, such

as academic capability, social disorder, and psychological disorder. Although these

individuals set certain barriers, they should not be blamed fully as some were never

given the help they needed or had a different type of childhood no kid should have. In

addition to this, social conformity does indeed change or shape the way an individual

lives and think. This is the true effect of gang violence for many generations to come.

References

Anxiety and Depression Association of America.(2018). “Facts and Statistics”

https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

Baranyi, G., Cassidy, M., Fazel, S., Priebe, S., & Mundt, A. P. (2018). Prevalence of

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Prisoners. ​Epidemiologic reviews​, ​40​(1),

134–145. doi:10.1093/epirev/mxx015 Victoria State Government(2016) “Paranoia”

Victoria State Government. Retrieved from.

​https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/paranoia​.

Kornbluth, J.(2013).​Inequality For All Document.​ ​2013 RADIUS TWC, LOS ANGELES

CALIFORNIA h​ ttp://inequalityforall.com/.

Muggah, R.(May 2012).​Researching the Urban Dilemma: Urbanization, Poverty,

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and Violence.​ ​International Development Research Centre, Ottawa. ​Retrieved from.

https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/bitstream/handle/10625/53538/IDL-53538.pdf?sequ

ence=1&isAllowed=y​.

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2019). “Jailing people with Mental Illness”

Retrieved from

https://www.nami.org/learn-more/public-policy/jailing-people-with-mental-illness

National Center for Education Statistics.(2019). “Indicator 8: Students’ Reports of Gangs at

School” Retrieved from

​https://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/ind_08.asp

Sidran Institute. (2013). PTSD “Statistics” Retrieved from

http://www.ptsdunited.org/ptsd-statistics-2/

Taylor, S. (2003). ​Why American boys join street gangs.​ ISSN 2006-

988x © ​2013 Academic Journals. Retrieved from

https://academicjournals.org/journal/IJSA/article-full-text-pdf/837FD2641401.

Vigil, J.(1983). Chicano Gangs: One Response To Mexican Urban

Adaptation In The Los Angeles Area. Urban Anthropology, Vol. 12, No. 1 (SPRING

1983),​ The Institute, Inc.

http://nclc203sec005year2013gangsandcriminalorganizations.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/

63242306/Vigil,%20James%20Diego%20-%201983%20-%20Chicano%20Gangs%20-

%20One%20Response%20to%20Mexican%20Urban%20Adaptation%20In%20the%20

Los%20.pdf​.

Wilson, C.(2016). “Most Americans Think Their Opinion on Guns is Widely Shared”
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Time​. Retrieved from

​http://time.com/4439610/gun-control-opinion/​.

Winton, Ailsa.(2005). ​Youth and Gang Violence. Retrieved from

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14733280500161537