Biker Gang Analysis Dissertation Abstracts Examples

Biker gangs seem to emanate criminality as legends tell the ravenous tales of murderous and frightening people who everyone should fear. However the truth may not always be what it seems as you should never judge a book by its cover. When you see a group of bikers it usually consists of rough and tough men and women that would strike fear into the strongest man as they are usually in a large group and carry there selves in a very intimidating fashion (Parker, 2015). So the questions that come to mind include, are these groups dangerous? Are they constantly involved in criminal activities? Or are these just myths made up to intimidate and strike fear into the hearts of people who opposed them? To really determine the answers for these questions it is necessary to examine the history of different biker gangs and what is known to be fact about their behaviors and chances of being involved in criminality.
Biker gangs can be any group of people who get together and ride motorcycles, usually for some cause. When the word gang is heard describing anything it paints a picture of criminal enterprises however some motorcycle groups consider themselves not gangs but clubs and say they like anyone have a few people who are involved with criminal activities however it has nothing to do with the group(College of Policing UK (Communications), 2015). The hells angels is one of the groups that are known worldwide for their brutal tactics and are doing everything they can to have people look at them differently. They feel like they are just not understood clearly and are not given a chance as they try to involve themselves in the community in more positive ways. No matter the involvement in the community that these gangs have though the mystery remains if they are to be trusted and the thought lingers that the group could be an organized criminal franchise just trying to distract the public from there criminality.
Outlaw motorcycle clubs are not something that there is a lot of information about however if you dig deep enough the facts are there to prove the myth or legend true.

In 1900s until about 1944 is when motorcycle clubs first began to form.

After world war two in-between 1945-1957 is when these clubs began to be more prevalent in societies.
Last since 1958 to now these gangs have been transforming to what we know about them now.
Before World War II there were outlaw motorcycle clubs however they were considered mostly good by nature compared to what we know motorcycle clubs as today. The first real club came from Illinois and was known as the McCook Outlaws who were known for their love of alcohol and small criminal activities. After World War II in the postwar era a new group known as the combat vets formed as a result of soldiers that were taught to ride during the war. These men also spent a lot of time drinking and many of them suffered from PTSD which was unrecognized until much later. As a result of the heavy drinking, well placed photos and proper wording by a newspaper the biker groups were dubbed as terrorist who were stirring things up and there lady friends were spoken down on as well this began the great rift between the people in motorcycle clubs and everyday civilians. Later around 1948 and since then motorcycle clubs have had a bod wrap and in the year 1948 most of the clubs disintegrated as attacks befell on their members who were depicted as monsters and beaten as well as refused jobs as a result of their association. The Hells Angels grew in size and in 1946 two members were charged with rape which they were later released for because of lack of evidence (Dulaney, 2015). Taking a look at this history it is conclusive to say that the evidence seems to show a group that began as a way for veterans to come together and may end in an organized crime ring. The latest facts about outlaw motorcycle gangs show a completely different picture of these gangs than where they began so long ago.
Outlaw motorcycle games are what we know of motorcycle clubs today. Some of these groups are: Hells Angels, Banditos, Mongols and sons of silence but there are many more (as many as 300 active in the U.S.). These groups are considered by the department of justice and the FBI to be dangerous organized crime affiliates (Justice.gov, 2015). It is described by the department of justice that the groups they consider outlaw motorcycle clubs are just using their organizations as a means to run their criminal organizations. These groups have been linked to many illegal criminal activities which include but are not limited to murder, violent crimes, trafficking weapons and drugs. The FBI released a report in 2011 saying that these gangs as well as others are directly responsible for controlling American citizens in there neighborhoods through fear and intimidation which helps them continue their illegal means of making money so they can continue to flourish. The national report established that at least forty eight percent of organized criminal activity is a direct result of gangs (FBI, 2015). When it comes to the distribution and trafficking of illegal drugs motorcycle groups prove to be at the top of the list for responsible parties of distribution. Research that was conducted during a two year period in 2002 and 2003 by the National Drug Intelligence center concluded that motorcycle gangs were the main distributers of illegal drugs like methamphetamine in at least three different states. Further analysis determined that the outlaw motorcycle gangs gain most of their organizational power from being in prison then they use this stance to force other street gangs to do their dirty work which acts like a shield when it comes to law enforcement properly prosecuting them. They have to say the least become an intelligent organized crime ring with many different layers to decipher while hiding behind the masks they make while showing the public all of the good deeds they are doing.

Conclusion

The main questions were, are these groups dangerous? Are they constantly involved in criminal activities? Or are these just myths made up to intimidate and strike fear into the hearts of people who opposed them? Through the research conducted it can be concluded that there was a time that motorcycle gangs were mainly just heavy drinking veterans dealing with the stressors of war through a bond and brotherhood that they drew from being around other veterans. However over time they have become not only constantly involved in criminal activities but the ring leaders of even common street gangs as they exercise an organizational control over the criminal franchise. The fear and intimidation do not just come from folklore or stories and although the motorcycle club would like to be looked at as an organization with a few bad seeds and not a criminal organization as a whole they do seem to prove their own statements wrong when the top people in the organization are calling all of the shots and none of these are good (McDermott, 2015). It is definitely not a myth that outlaw motorcycle clubs have earned their reputation for being thugs that are involved in many criminal activities. This being said there are different motorcycle clubs known today that are not listed in the criminal justice system as threats that follow these same principles, however once upon a time all of the dangerous groups that are highlighted today did not start of as predators and people involved in organized crime, so it is hard to conclude any good can come from any group of individuals that identifies as a gang or motorcycle gang.

References

Dulaney, W. (2015). IJMS/Articles/Dulaney. [online] Ijms.nova.edu. Available at: http://ijms.nova.edu/November2005/IJMS_Artcl.Dulaney.html [Accessed 22 Jan. 2015].
FBI, (2015). Gangs. [online] Available at: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/vc_majorthefts/gangs [Accessed 22 Jan. 2015].
Justice.gov, (2015). USDOJ: CRM: OCGS: Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. [online] Available at: http://www.justice.gov/criminal/ocgs/gangs/motorcycle.html [Accessed 22 Jan. 2015].
McDermott, E. (2015). NCJRS Abstract - National Criminal Justice Reference Service. [online] Ncjrs.gov. Available at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=235095 [Accessed 22 Jan. 2015].
Parker, A. (2015). How The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Works - HowStuffWorks. [online] HowStuffWorks. Available at: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hells-angels.htm [Accessed 22 Jan. 2015].