Free Comparing And Contrasting Essay Example

In chapter 11 there was a lot of information defining what a gang is and how as well as why they work. The book described gangs as any group of three or more people who affiliate themselves as gang members and engage in criminal activity. The definition of what makes up a gang member does differ depending on the state of residence but in most states at least two of many defined characteristics are required to be qualified as a gang member. Being a member of a gang is not considered a criminal act however it does make any criminal charges that the member incurs much more serious and punishments for these crimes are harsher. Chapter 11 describes gang members as willing to do most anything to become part of a gang which often requires a criminal act. In some instances members are jumped in by other members of the gang but in most cases the new member is required to murder a rival gang member or commit a robbery etc. The chapter describes the gang life as a very violent one. In the video gangland “baddest gangs” there are many similarities described. The video showcases actual members of gangs as they describe their illicit lifestyle. The members describe a lifetime commitment to the gang and describe how they carry out attacks on rival gang members. Much like the book the members describe how it is important for them to announce their affiliation before shooting and in many instances killing a rival gang member. In some situations the gang member could be on their property or turf, and in others it would just be an attack to become a member of the gang which is similar to the book (history channel, 2015).

Works Cited

historychannel,. (2015). baddest gangs. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/shows/gangland/videos/baddest-gangs
Lasley, J., & Guskos, N. (2014). Criminal investigation. Boston: Pearson.