Gang violence is a huge problem that exists today in many parts of the United States, as well as the rest of the world. Most of us have heard of gangs such as the Bloods and the Crips, which are primarily African-American gangs that have gained a large following in the United States. This large following, combined with the amount of violence these gangs participate in, has generated significant national public attention. However, the Bloods and Crips are not the only gangs operating in modern society throughout the country, there are others as well. All of these gangs are made up of members who take pride in their drug dealing and violent behavior. This type of influence is disastrous for children because they view these adults as role models. From a social work perspective, this type of environment is detrimental to a person's well-being and is extremely unhealthy, therefore it has a negative effect on both society and families.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay A large part of examining gang violence from a social worker's perspective is the effect it has on the youth community. Nowadays, more and more children are participating in gang activities. These include things like drug dealing, theft, battery, murder, and other violent crimes. These children grow up in an environment in which the adults around them participate in gang activities. These are men that these children admire. They see the fear their role models instill in others and the emphasis on respect that is so close to them and they want to be just like them. As a result, these kids want to be in gangs and participate in these crimes because in some cases, that's all they know. Violence is a significant part of gangs in general. If a person is a gang member, according to Scott (2014), “they are very likely to participate in violent delinquency” (p. 784). All gang members are forced to participate in violent acts at one point or another after becoming part of the gang. Many gangs have even been accused of killing their own members because they wanted to leave the gang lifestyle. This combination of youth and violence is horrible for any society. According to Scott (2014), “research has found that the more youth are integrated into a gang, the slower their rate of gang desistance” (p. 784). In other words, the more young members a gang has, the less likely they are to stop their criminal activities. This speaks to the fact that youth are easily influenced and manipulated to act according to the desires of their gang leaders. Simply put, the older these gang members are, the less likely they are to participate in this lifestyle. According to various studies, gang activity is similar in its functioning, regardless of their geographic location. For example, according to Pyrooz and Decker (2012), “this study observed rates of delinquency and gang involvement [in China] that are reminiscent of those in Western countries” (p. 251). In the United States, according to Pyrooz and Decker (2012) "52% of boys and girls reported the presence of gangs in their neighborhood, while 49% of Chinese boys and 47% of Chinese girls reported the presence of gangs in their neighborhoods." their neighborhood. neighborhoods” (p. 255). This is evidence that supports the idea that Chinese and American societies may be comparable in terms of each country's youth and exposure to gangs. This is important because China has not been able to match the amount of datacollected by the United States on the issue and is also grappling with the problem of gang violence. Additionally, being a gang member puts a person at risk of violence. dangerous everyday situations, such as an altercation with a member of a rival gang. Gang members often identify themselves by things such as hand signals or the clothing they wear; they are able to recognize members of other gangs. With the constant under the influence of drugs and alcohol, this often creates a situation in which all participants are likely to be even more aggressive than sober. According to Melde and Esbensen (2012), “gang involvement increases exposure to high-risk situations, including unstructured social forums where alcohol, drugs, and delinquent peers – including gang members rivals – are present” (p. 146). The risk in many of these “situations” can often be death. These gang members will risk their lives to protect their own egos as well as their pride, as well as the respect and fear they demand from their peers as well as rival gang members. Gang violence has a lot to do with images as well as pride. Gangs will engage in violent behavior in order to prove that they are better or tougher than another gang. This gives them increased status if they can be more ruthless in their treatment of others. This type of dynamic is driving the focus on gangs in the United States as well as the rest of the world. These gangs have built a reputation based solely on violence. Although gangs are involved in all kinds of criminal activity, the crimes that people seem most sensitive to are crimes of a violent nature. According to Melde and Esbensen (2012), “research on gangs suggests that violence is a tool for acquiring, maintaining, and enhancing one's status within the group [or gang]” (p. 147). This barbaric behavior is a way for these gang members to feel important compared to their peers; he is undoubtedly competitive. Efforts have been made to prove, through studies, a link between drug use and violence among street gang members. The data was collected based primarily on information from the United States and Mexico. According to Volkmann et al. (2012) “Findings [based on drug-violence theory] reveal that drug use increases gang members' propensity to commit violent acts” (p. 67). In other words, the drug-violence theory is a theory that states that there is indeed a link between increased violence and drug use. Evidence suggests this theory could be proven. Although most data on this issue has been collected primarily in the United States and Mexico, the relationship between drugs and gang violence has been analyzed in Brazil and throughout Latin America as well. According to Volkmann et al. (2012) “researchers have examined the link between drugs and gang violence in many countries…gangs involved in drug trafficking tended to engage in more violent behavior [in Brazil and Latin America]” (p 67). The researchers also tested the theory that people more exposed to gangs and their violence would be more likely to be aware of drugs. The evidence collected strongly indicated the truth of this theory. The survey carried out determined that, according to Volkmann et al. (2012) “40% [of respondents] reported exposure to gang violence… [and] 83% of respondents reported gangs were active in the community” (p. 73). Based on the data.