This week’s reading of the CQ Researcher addressed the growing issue of gangs in the nation. According to the reading, gangs are becoming more sophisticated and are becoming hard to detect because they are no longer fitting the stereotypical image of a gang member. In other words, most have strayed from getting tattoos and wearing clothing that symbolizes the gang they belong to. As pointed out by the information provided by the CQ Researcher, a possible main reason for this change is to enable gang members to stay under the radar from government officials and avoid getting caught. However, this does not change the effect gangs have on communities as well as on the lives of the people in them.

A plausible solution to the problem is the idea of injunctions. While I do think the intervention of past gang members is effective, I don’t think it is the only solution as it does have flaws of its own. In order to fully understand how to solve the dilemma, we also have to look at why are gangs such an appeal? The reading touched on the reason being that many turn to gangs as a way of obtaining the respect and resources they can’t usually get. The issue then becomes how can we help these communities find a sense of belonging and comfort without turning to a gang? The growth of gangs can not simply be looked at the surface level and a constant questioning of why things are the way they are needs to be done if a bigger picture is to be drawn.