Drug Abuse Leads To Violence
Drug Abuse Leads To Violence
La Gangs, Violence, Education, and Excuses
Gang Violence
I recently read an article on a blog entitled “Crime and Poverty” by Matthew Yglesias that discussed gang violence in Los Angeles. One of the main points made by Mr. Yglesias was that a better school system will not stop certain tactics used by gang members for recruitment. Building on this theme, I think that something besides “more education” is needed in to significantly reduce the gang violence in LA. Sure, more education would possibly help but what about the educational opportunities that currently exist?
Are Gangs A Black Hole?
One commenter on Mr. Yglesias’ blog made the following statement: “gangs are a black hole that sucks everything around them in, but that those who are in them do so because they have no other options.” How accurate is this statement? Do all LA teens get sucked into gangs? Do local LA churches, social service agencies, the police, and recreation centers all get sucked into the gang’s black hole? Are there really “no options” for gang members?
Plenty of Excuses
I am not trying to minimize what’s going on in Los Angeles regarding gang violence but it seems to me that a lot of excuses and a lot of quitting are also taking place in the streets of LA. What’s stopping the teens in LA from learning something of value in school? Doesn’t anyone from LA ever graduate from high school and go to college? What are the gang members’ parents doing to help change the current situation?
Speaking of parents, don’t the parents of gang members have some responsibility in the mess that has been created? For the sake of argument, even if the parents of most gang members are divorced or separated, does this mean that children of all broken homes are destined for failure?
Poor Coping Skills
It sounds like a lot of teens in LA have terrible coping skills and are also copping out big time. When facing adversity, some people gravitate toward the quick fix, the easy way out, and to the course of least resistance while others refuse to give in, focus on positive goals, and roll up their sleeves and get to work on something productive.
LA’s gang violence is a striking example of what happens when people fail to look to the legitimate and traditionally accepted vehicles for advancement and mobility and instead look at “phony” and highly glorified “options.” Indeed, when teens look to self-centered sports figures, gangster rappers, thugs, criminals, and drug dealers for “guidance” that will be instrumental in their “career decisions” instead of staying in school and actually learning a trade or a skill that will lead to an honest, fulfilling living, what kind of “fallout” is to be expected? What kind of neighborhood will result?
Let’s Muddy the Waters With Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
The aforementioned analysis of gang behavior was undertaken without bringing up another important consideration: until now, not one word has been mentioned about gang behavior and drug and Alcohol Abuse. Would it surprise anyone to learn that the teens who make up the LA gangs are heavily involved in alcohol abuse and drug addiction?
Conclusion
Gang violence is a complex phenomenon that needs to be addressed from a number of avenues. For instance, parents of gang members need to learn better parenting skills and gang members need to learn better coping skills. Gang members and their parents also need to quit making excuses and copping out and start taking responsibility for the deplorable living conditions they have created and perpetuated.
In addition, gang members need to take advantage of the resources that are available at local social service agencies to help them rise above their violent lifestyles. Furthermore, gang members need career counseling so that they can learn something in school that is concrete, doable, financially rewarding, and worthy of their hope for a more productive and meaningful life after they graduate.
And finally, to the extent that gang members abuse alcohol and/or drugs, they need professional help if they are to avoid a lifetime of unhealthy and destructive consequences.
Copyright 2007 – Denny Soinski. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, and give the author credit.
About the Author
Denny Soinski, Ph.D, writes about alcoholism, alcohol abuse, and problem drinking, alcohol addiction, alcohol detoxification, Alcoholics Anonymous info, adolescent drug addiction, alcoholism, Alcohol Recovery, alcohol treatment, and Alcohol Rehab. For more information, please visit alcohol abuse and fetal alcohol syndrome right away!
Could you answer these questions?
I am researching these topics so if you could either answer them or give me a good websaite thank you.
·What is one of the most common factors in leading to the drug and alcohol abuse, which in turn leads to teen violence.
·Why do we find TV to have the majority of the violence on it?
·Why do we enjoy watching violence?
·Why do so many people turn to violence for answers?
·Does it actually solve anything?
·How much does the abuse of children affect them when they are grown?
·If a teen is in a stressful environment will they be more likely to have an outbreak of violence?
Common factors are family. Next would be peer pressure
The Tv moguls assume thats what people want. Always been that way. westerns with shoot em ups were always popular npw you have even more violence.
Maybe we want to be part of the winner. Everyone would be like Walker if they could.
Countries seem to think so with war. So people emulate their leaders.
I think it affects them a great deal.
Yes to the last question.
Anti-Violence and Substance Abuse Ad
|
|
Sugar Town $1.98 Unimpassioned look at the lives of struggling L.A. scene rock stars follows main character, Gwen (Jade Gordon), on her quest for the top. Working as an assistant to a film production designer (Ally Sheedy), she tries to steal her boy friend (Larry Klein) who is a music producer by offering sexual favors. The producer meanwhile is trying to orchestrate a comeback for a former glam band played by Mi… |
|
|
Network Therapy for Alcohol and Drug Abuse: Effective Office-Based Treatment [VHS] $39.97 Treatment of substance abuse is challenging for all involvedAfor addicted patients, those close to them, and the treating therapists. This informative video shows how a therapist complements individual sessions with supportive meetings with the patient, family, and friends to surmount major obstacles to recovery. The video portrays reenacted therapy sessions using transcripts from actual sessions … |
|
|
Tough Love: Being Tough on Your Kid May Be the Most Loving Thing You Can Do $55.00 In this story, assistant high school principal Rob Charters (Bruce Dern) and his wife Jan (Lee Remick) are good suburban parents with one model child Scott (Eric Schiff) and a 17 year old son Gary (Jason Patric) who has been using drugs. Gary’s violent behavior convinces Rob and Jan that to save Gary they must lock him out, refuse to help him when he is jailed and let him live in poverty. For the … |
|
|
Therabath Professional Paraffin Bath, Scentfree, Maximum Capacity, 9-Pound $148.97 For Hands, Feet, Face and Body since 1962 For over 90 years paraffin moist heat therapy has been used to relieve pain, inflammation and stiffness caused by arthritis. A form of thermotherapy, paraffin treatments effectively increase blood flow to aid in rehabilitation, or to warm an area of the body prior to other therapies or exercise. Warm paraffin is also used extensively to soften dry, crack… |
|
|
Glymed Plus Vital A About The Age Management Skin Care System: The Age Management Skin Care System addresses the individual challenges of chronologically injured, photo-aged and environmentally damaged skin. This System is a complete line of products that gently cleanse, actively treat, restore balance, and protect even the most sensitive skin for all skin types and all skin colors for cellular rehabilitation. Vital… |
|
|
Rehab Suggestion Humor Card 5 x 7 inch premium quality folded paper greeting card. 12 Step Addiction Recovery cards & photo 12 Step Addiction Recovery cards from Greeting Card Universe will bring a smile to your loved ones’ face. Make your loved ones feel special with a custom paper card. Look no further than Greeting Card Universe for your 12 Step Addiction Recovery card needs. This paper card includes the following themes:… |
|
|
Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book, 4th Edition $9.44 It’s more than a book. It’s a way of life. Alcoholics Anonymous-The Big Book-has served as a lifeline to millions worldwide. First published in 1939, Alcoholics Anonymous sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. With publication of the second edition in 1955, the third edition in 1976, and now the fourth edit… |
|
|
Drop the Rock: Removing Character Defects – Steps Six and Seven $7.79 Resentment. Fear. Self-Pity. Intolerance. Anger. This cast of character defects will undermine the best-laid plans for recovery from addiction. It’s not uncommon for individuals in recovery to hang on to negative, self-defeating behaviors after they’ve given up their addiction. These are the “rocks” that can sink recovery – or, at the least, block further progress. With more than 100,000 copies so… |
|
|
Codependent No More Workbook $8.88 Through hands-on guided journaling, exercises, and self-tests, readers will learn to integrate the time-tested concepts outlined in Codependent No More into their daily lives by setting and enforcing healthy limits developing a support system through healthy relationships with others and a higher power experiencing genuine love and forgiveness letting go and detaching from others’ harmful behavio… |
|
|
When a Man Loves a Woman $3.28 Powerful drama starring Meg Ryan as a high school guidance counselor whose painstaking struggle against alcoholism threatens her seemingly happy marriage to airline pilot Andy Garcia. While attempting to solve Ryan’s drinking addiction, they discover that their marriage wasn’t as perfect as they once believed. With Lauren Tom, Ellen Burstyn. 126 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital … |
