Gangs spring from circumstances

THE first thing we should bear in mind when considering the gang issue is that we are an inherently violent society. There are various reasons ranging from historical, political, social, economic to various other factors.

Gangs are but one manifestation of this violent society, along with various other examples that we see and hear about daily. The thing about gangs is that they seem to be particularly prevalent in certain communities.

Those that have been most commonly reported in the media are the communities of the Cape Flats and those of the northern areas in Port Elizabeth.

There are various types of gang formations, ranging from street level gangs to highly organised criminal syndicates.

In reality it is sometimes difficult to distinguish because gangs have become highly sophisticated and adaptable, making it possible for them to have characteristics of various types of gang formations.

The problem with the types of gangs found in communities like those of the northern areas is that the gangs are actually part of the very same communities.

Gangs are not isolated entities but are contextually based, meaning that they are products of the prevailing micro and macro contexts of the communities within which they exist. The social environment thus plays a significant role in the formation and continuation of gangs. The violence associated with gangs should not be seen in isolation from the general levels of violence in society at large.

The problem is that in marginalised communities levels of violence are often more noticeable because they tend to be associated with communities that are marginalised, poor or of relatively low socio-economic status.

Gang-related murders are often a feature of gang life for various reasons. Some of the most important are that murder/ violence is seen as an important rite of passage for an initiate to “prove” that he has what it takes to be in the gang, it is an important marker of status – the more violent you are as a gang member the quicker you may move up the ranks, violence is often a symbolic way of expressing values that are considered important in the gang, such as loyalty, commitment to following orders, protecting your turf by any means necessary, etc.

Violence is also a means of eliminating rivals or threats. Violence is part of the street gang culture as it underpins much of what gang life means to those who belong to gangs.

It thus holds much value because much of what it means to be a gang member is dependent on the use of violence. For these reasons it is logical for gang members to commit acts of violence as part of the gang rather than as individuals, as it has more meaning for them within the gang context.

Gang violence is “cultural” in the sense that it is an integral part of the street culture that all gangs live by. Gangs, like any other group in society, are social groups.

When humans form groups they develop a set of values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that are designed to ensure the survival of those groups, as well as the individuals in them. This is one reason why human culture, in all its forms, is vital.

Gangs have their own culture: they have their own language, symbols, beliefs, history, attitudes and value systems that inform what they do and why. In this sense they could be considered a culture or subculture.

Territoriality is another aspect that informs the culture of gangs. Turf as it is commonly known represents a geographical space that a gang regards as its symbol of dominance.

In this space a gang can have power, for instance ruling through fear, controlling illicit economic activities in the area, etc. Often violence between gangs occurs because of one gang invading the turf of another.

This is perceived as a direct attack on a gang’s dominance in its area of influence, and the only way to re-establish its control and dominance is through violence. Gangs are highly competitive so they are constantly looking to expand their influence, which brings them into conflict with each other.

Gang violence often occurs over territory. For gangs the issue is always about their survival and turf is a large part of that. When a gang’s turf is threatened, then its survival is threatened.

I believe that it may not be possible to eliminate gangs from communities where they occur because, as I said earlier, they have become part of the social structure of those communities. Gangs fill a vacuum that has been created by the failure of social and state institutions to provide important functions particularly to the youth.

Broken families, poverty, low socio-economic status, inadequate school and other facilities and unemployment – all of these are reasons why gangs thrive in communities that have these problems. Thus, to address the gang issue, these wider socio-economic issues must be addressed on a broad level.

I believe the key lies in creating visible and viable alternatives to the youth that they can consider. At the moment the gang life is attractive because it represents for many kids the only viable option.

Coming from marginalised communities they are at a disadvantage, meaning that they cannot exploit the access to opportunities that other kids may have at their disposal. This severely limits their options for upward socio-economic mobility.

This, coupled with the inadequate schooling system, and the various other social problems I’ve mentioned, makes the option of gang life appear to be far better. Even more so when there are few role models and heroes that kids can look up to in their communities.

Most of the time all they see are the gang leaders who command respect, or who have benefitted from criminal activity.

In the absence of other alternatives for role models kids believe that this is the only real option they have.

Unless these issues are addressed, it will be very difficult to curb gang violence.

- T S Petrus, research associate professor, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Fort Hare East London campus