Delinquent Behavior
Most teens who join gangs are generally already involved in drug use and delinquency, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. After a teen is initiated into a gang, he’s more likely to get involved in drug and/or alcohol use, violent behaviors and other forms of delinquency like theft, truancy and selling drugs. Consequently, the young person’s risk for getting arrested increases. The longer a teen stays in a gang, the more the group becomes a “social network” that greatly influences his behaviors, discourages conventional aspirations and limits his access to positive, prosocial groups. While a teen may see a gang as a way to give his life stability and order, the group ultimately does the opposite, as the perceived friendships become less stable over time and bring about a series of difficult and destructive transitions.