WITH last week's riots across Britain and an alarming rate of teenage murders, gangs are striking fear into the heart of our communities.
But a chilling new police report exposes the hopelessness of life for the youths who get sucked into their savage grip.
It reveals gang "soldiers" endure a miserable existence of posturing and danger as they scramble to rake in money for their mob "elders".
Their so-called reward is to be treated with disdain by their gang bosses and made to continually prove themselves to raise their "ranking" within the group.
Here, ANTHONY FRANCE reveals the six disgusting categories "youngers" blindly follow on their way to a life of gang misery, as detailed in the two-year study Growing Against Gangs And Violence.
1. Violence
THE Growing Against Gangs And Violence report - written by Inspector Allen Davis of the Met Police and Professor James Densley of the Metropolitan State University in Minnesota, USA - focused on 12 London gangs.
They interviewed 69 gang members and 129 "informants" as well as friends, partners and relatives of members. They also spoke to teachers and solicitors to get a feel for what it was to live life as a gangster.
Weapons ... gang try to maintain their violent reputation
There are estimated to be 169 gangs in London - along with hundreds more in "crime centres" such as Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Liverpool.
The report, revealed in the respected Police Review magazine, shows gangsters need to clock up "ratings" in six "categories" to earn respect and move up the chain of command.
The first of these categories is violence. The more aggressive an attack, the more a gang soldier is "rewarded" with "better weapons".
The report states that, as a result, gang members seek to "develop and maintain a reputation for violence" by preying on "the weak" or "staging confrontations" which they then film and post on YouTube to enhance their "mad and bad reputations".
2. Silence
SNITCHING - or "snaking" - on others is prohibited and if gang soldiers are caught it is "punishable by extreme violence".
The report adds: "Gangs encourage silence because it confounds police investigations and guarantees protection from prosecution or conviction.
"However, gang members are aware of their vulnerability to infiltration and, as such, do not trust each other anywhere near as much as they would like others to believe.
"There is no honour among thieves."
3. Grind, stack and swagger
GANG soldiers are encouraged to "grind and stack" - or "work hard" and "generate piles of cash quickly".
Once they have done that, they must also show "swagger" by blowing their money on flashy disposable status symbols.
The study says cash is "easily earned and spent" but the big money is filtered up to gang leaders who then dole it out to soldiers.
Cash ... the amount members earn is dependent on ranking
The amount they earn is dependent on their ranking. The report states: "Gangs essentially operate a pyramid scheme in which money flows upwards to the more senior gang members. Monetary rewards are inversely proportional to offending risks.
"Gang 'elders' direct the criminal activity of gang 'youngers' but typically only reward them in kind or with ratings as opposed to with an equal share of the 'gwop' (money)."
It adds: "To achieve the highest social standing possible, gang youths must also spend money - conspicuous consumption enables 'players' to keep score of the sums supposedly being earned."
In a grim assessment of gang life, the report adds: "Life on the road thus becomes an exercise in keeping up appearances or, in street parlance, demonstrating 'swagger'.
"Youths come to define themselves by what they purchase - alcohol and drugs, cars, consumer electronics, designer clothing, firearms, jewellery, nights out, even women.
"Gang members live financially in the present because they do not expect to live long enough to enjoy their money in the future."
4. Sex
MEANINGLESS sexual conquests dominate the conversations of feckless gang soldiers - and the more girls they sleep with, the more "ratings" they achieve.
'Ratings' ... consent to sex is often disregarded
The report explains: "Gang members have a very casual outlook, often complete disregard, to issues of consent.
"Setting girls up to perform sexual acts, via the internet or text message, is generally agreed to be something that 'boys do' in gangs."
It adds: "Girls do not get ratings by what they do, but rather who they 'link' - have casual sex - with.
"Girls subject themselves to such mistreatment because of the protection, money and status they supposedly receive by association with gang boys.
"Within gangs, the chances of girls earning such rewards in their own right are slim and so they are completely dependent upon the boys.
"The result is the institution of extremely unequal power relationships within gangs in which girls are seen as disposable and thus become extremely vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse."
5. Language
USING a distinctive "street language" that confuses and excludes adults is a key way to get ahead in the gang underworld.
Soldiers are also referred to by their menacing "tag" - nickname - and can up their standing by "promoting their brand".
The report states: "Street language denigrates many young people for trying to achieve something in mainstream society.
"The term 'neek' (a word from 'nerd' and 'geek'), for instance, is widely used as a derogatory phrase for anyone trying to achieve academic success."
The study says "tags" are often handed down by gang leaders and are part of the hierarchical structure of the gang.
It adds: "Those that fail to live up to their name or comply with those that bestowed the name upon them lose respect.
"How you promote your brand is through validation of how bad you are.
"Gang members thus use social media to jostle for position and stay relevant.
"Social networking sites are employed to boast and taunt. Criminal acts are filmed and posted on YouTube for posterity. Music videos are crudely produced and distributed on MySpace to showcase verbal agility."
6. Posting on the strip
BEING a successful soldier involves putting in shifts to patrol your "territory" and watching out for the police.
A threatening presence on the street will be rewarded with promotion up the chain.
The report says: "A key feature of life in gangs is dutifully and punctually 'showing up' and 'posting on the strip'.
"Posting on the strip refers to time spent 'putting in work' on the 'frontline' of gang activity, from committing robberies and collecting debts, to delivering messages and giving early warning of police raids.
"Part of their role is to distract and obstruct, which can sap valuable police resources.
"Youths gain ratings by visibly patrolling and policing territorial boundaries, not least because the act of someone from a rival gang or postcode 'caught slipping' (encroaching upon their territory) is seen as an affront to the gang's power and reputation.
"Gang elders seek to 'quality-assure' their 'youngers' by observing, for example, whether or not they run or fight when under pressure."
You Might Also Like :
0 comments:
Post a Comment