GANG VIOLENCE

During childhood and adolescence, the formation of groups or gangs is a normal part of the growing process. Playmates, school friends, Boy a nd Girl Scout troops are each examples of the natural inclination to f orm group attachments that provide a stable social outlet. However, ga ngs, as we now know them, are part of the pathological process brought on by the inability to disassociate from adolescent groupings, and mo re frightening, the result of infiltration by criminal elements, such as drug dealers, who exert violent influence on impressionable youngst ers, particularly in major urban areas. The transition of gangs from i nnocent to deadly is due in large part to society's failure to respond to the environment that causes their pathology. In order to reverse t he process, society must engage in programs that reinforce the gang or group experience as a positive one by incorporating adult supervision and mentoring as essential elements.