Understanding and Responding to Youth Gangs: A Juvenile Corrections Approach

According to Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber there is no one factor that can account for the overrepresentation of minority youths, it is a systematic problem that must be addressed.
In conclusion there are many different reasons and theories why youths join gangs, whether you are female or male it makes no difference. Youths join in order to fit in and to gain social status among their peers. Many times youths have personal problems at home so they turn to gangs because they feel that they will provide solutions to these same problems. If parents were to recognize some of the issues that their children have, we may find less youths in gangs. It is society's responsibility to embrace these children and to focus on them and not the gangs.
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