How family conflicts associate with teen crimes

by Won Rok Choi

I. Introduction We have many serious problems in our community. I think most serious problem is family conflicts and Teen crime. The values and the ethics of modern people are changing as the era changes. People do what is right in their eyes. They fufil their desires according to their own instincts. In reality, different kinds of problems are created by the following, the core society's structure "family" can become the problem. The family is confronting a critical moment. Not just speaking of one particular country, but every year, the number of disfunctional families and divorce rates are showing increasing trends. Some say Marriage is best blessing from God. In a foreign saying, it states: "When going out to the rough sea, pray once. When going out to the war, pray twice. Before going off to get married, pray three times." This wise saying proclaims how marriage mean so important in our lives. But main problem of today's society starts from the dismantle of families. According to one report, one says that a father and his daughter spends about less than one minute per day. From United States and other countries, there are lot of families being destroyed. A husband and a wife are in the either situation of divorcing or divorcement, and their sons or daughters would tend to live, seperated from their families. In this situation there is no family education, the children grows out to be the criminals or bad people in our society. This kind of situation are increasing very rapidly. As the years are going by, the amount of marriage as divorcement are also increasing. For example, in 1920, six out of one got divorced. 20 years later in 1940, the amount of divorcement has increased is five out of one. 1960's, it has increased four out of one, and after 20 years in 1980, the divorcement came close to two to one. If this repeats, in year two thousand, think how it would be for some people after marriages. There would be a very close date of divorce which will occur. The rapid increasment of divorce is because of the wrong doing of husband and wife's responsibility(Marriage and Divorce: Jeong S. Kwon; Seoul Korea, 1989). Out of the dismantled families, maybe even out of opulent families, there creates the problems of every teenagers. In the following pages, I would like to tell you about the problems and statistics, that are caused by them, such as smoking, street gangs, grifftis caused by them, drugs they take, and having to also have plans and activities that can prevent or stop the teen crimes. II. A. Teen's Smoking The main problem that causes teenager is to start smoking. Being abandoned by law, there are more and more teenagers who smoke and buy tobacco. This crime seems minor, but it becomes major problem when it is against the law, becomes a critical health issues maybe even lead to druss such as manjuana. The first surgeon general's report to focus on the smoking habits of racial and ethnic groups shows that, while the overall use of tobacco is declining among adults, it has begun to rise among minority teenagers, creating a "time bomb" for minority populations. Public health advocates said the study clearly shows why Congress should pass comprehensive legislation to curb teen smoking. The report examined the smoking habits of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders and Native Americans/Alaska Natives. These groups account for 24% of the U.S. population, but by the middle of the next century their share of the nation's population is expected to reach nearly 50%. Although deaths from lung cancer are declining, it remains the leading cause of cancer death for all four racial and ethnic groups, with African American men having the highest lung cancer death rate. Rates of other tobacco-related cancers vary widely among the racial and ethnic groups but are highest among African American men(L.A Times) However, the general trend toward fewer lung cancer deaths could change if minority teenagers' smoking rates continue to rise. In the past, minority teenagers were a success story for public health advocates because of their relatively low smoking rates. But now they are catching up with non-Latino white teenagers. Smoking rates are especially high among Latino high school students(overall, 34% smoke cigarettes, through among seniors the rate drops off to 26.8%), while almost 40% of non-Latino white teenagers smoke cigarettes. The settlement with tobacco prohibits attacking the industry directiy in an ad campaign. Thus, the theme which emerged from the summit focuses instead on those who support the industry: distributors, advertising agencies, media that accept tobacco ads and films. "The whole truth idea came after we saw internal memos from tobacco companies which totally contradict their public statements about not targeting teens," said Jared Perez, 17, a high school junior from Belleair, Fla., near Tampa. "Smoking is not rebellious or individualistic. Smokers are manipulated into doing exactly what tobacco companies want." Expectations are high for the florida campaign. Along with $50 million of tobacco's money for the ad campaign alone, the settlement earmarks another $150 million for education, minority health programs and enforcement of laws governing the retailing of tobacco products to minors(L.A. Times). Big Tobacco is in for a big surprise. Some recognize what they are up against in taking on Big Tobacco, a sophisticated marketer which, according to the Federal Trade Commission, spends about $14 million a day in the United States to endow cigarette smoking with an insouciant, existential appeal. "It's going to be really hard," said Perez. "I see people light up as they leave school and it's easy to get cynical about our chances of getting people to stop." Even as participants of the Teen Summit were kicking around anti-smoking ideas, in fact, an anonymous Internet site celebrated teen smoking with a Web page that offered kids tips on how to pick a brand, how to smoke at school without getting caught and how to tell their parents that they smoke. The summiteers later bombarded the Web site with so much e-mail that the creators shut it down. But even with that victory, many wondered aloud if talking teens out of smoking can ever succeed. "I've seen tons of commercials on TV against smoking," said Alicia Welch, a high school senior from Hollywood. "Teens know it's bad for them but they do it anyway. They do it to rebel." Ah, rebellion! That, say those in charge of the ad campaign, is the key. "The aim here is to make rebelling against manipulation as cool as smoking," Mitchell said. The kids are saying: 'It's no fun to rebel against your parents and smoke if you're doing what rich white adults want you to do.' "This is the test, with this generation of kids," said Mitchell, "to see if buy into this movement to show cigarettes as a symbol of addiction, not rebellion. Past generations haven't. But never before have we had a campaign like this, so teen-oriented, so edgy."(L.A. Times) Every parents must have concern for their child. Our society has no a problem child, just has problem parents. Smoking is the first step to attain to Teen crime. According to Deputy Al Bennett(L.A. Sheriff), many teen involved in gangs smoke or are heavily on drugs. The problems states on how such young kids can get cigarettes? It is stated that older gang members would either by the cigarettes and divide it among the youngsters or even youngsters with facial looks of older age can easily get access to it at the market or liquor. As deeply as these children go into smoking or taking drugs, the future of our society will become dull. More of a issue that we should be concern is that adults, although kids are becoming sick from such disease, adults would sit back and sometimes even become a help to get them more sick. To lead our children to the brighter future, the adults should be on the right road. B. Street Gangs Street gangs in Los Angeles County can be described as group of individuals who may or may not claim control over a certain territory in the community. They engage, either individually or collectively, in violent or other forms of illegal behavior. A gang can be more simply defined as a group of people who form an allegiance for a common purpose and engage in violent, unlawful, or criminal activity. Hispanic and Black street gang members account for most violent gang crimes; however Asian, Pacific Island, and Armeniangang are becoming more active and menacing. Gangs involve all races and socio-economic levels, and their activity often affects innocent people. Gangs are predominantly territory oriented. Each gang has its own turf and graffiti marks its boundaries. Anyone not belonging in the area and who resembles a rival gang member may become the subject of attack. Gang membership extracts a terrible toll from the lives of all who come in contact with members. Parents and relatives of gang members live in a double fear; one for their own safety and that of other non-gang family members, and a second fear for the survival of their gang member son or daugher. Non-gang member friends are cast aside and soon the youth's only friends are gang members. Gang membership, though a temporary phase for some youths, will shape the individual's future. All levels of formal education are discarded because they differ from the gang's objectives. Gang members not killed or seriously injured often develop patterns of alcohol and narcotics abuse, and extensive police records that will limit their employment opportunities. Many gangs adopt names that have significance when related to their neighborhoos. Many gang members adopt nicknames when recruited into the group, if they do not already have one. The gang tends to select a name that fits the individual's physical or psychological characteristics. Gang members in Los Angeles County do not fit the movie image where they are portrayed fulfilling specific roles in the gang, such as "president" or "enforcer," while wearing jackets similar to those worn by many car clubs. Rather, leadership roles in street gangs are usually not formally recognized positions. They are assumed by a member who demonstrates or asserts dominant control at a particular time. His leadership may continue for the particular incident or a limited time thereafter. With smaller gangs, however, it is more likely that a single individual will become a recognized leader. What do gang do? It is not practical to examine everything a gang does. In fact, many gang activities are frequently shared by a large portion of society. But when a gang is involved in a weekend party, or attends a public event such as visiting an amusement park, the potential for violence and criminal activity is far greater than for any other group of people. Gang members seek confrontation with rivals. The resulting violence often claims innocent victims. While gang violence often makes headlines, it creates even more damage on regular basis to local property and business. Vandalism, in the form of graffiti and the wanton destruction of public and provate property, is often done in furtherance of the gang's reputation. Abandoned houses are favorite targets for vandalism but even occupied homes do not escape. Local businesses suffer not only from the property damage and graffiti, but also from loss of customers and employees. Businesses facing decreasing revenue and rising insurance costs close their doors leaving another abandoned building for the gang. The majority of residents in a gang area who are unable to move away live in fear. Most gang members are proud of their gang, and freely admit their membership. Many display tattoos openly and dress in a style identifying their particular gang. Their personal belongings are frequently covered with graffiti and bear the gang's logo and the member's gang name. Many gang members "shoot signs" with their fingers; that is to say they make gestures with their hands and fingers which identify their gang. Many individuals on the fringe of gang involvement are reluctant to identify themselves as gang members. They often state that their friends are gang members, but that they themselves are not. However, rival gang members shooting from a speeding car do not make a distinction between a gang member and his or her associates. The uniform of Hispanic gangs is an easily recognized standard. Most gang members adopt a basic style that includes white T-shirts, thin belts, baggy pants with split cuffs, and a black or blue knit cap (beanie or a bandanna tied around the forehead similar to a sweatband). Black gang members are individualistic in their dress. Black gangs tend to identify themselves by adopting certain colors. The "Crips" identify themselves with the color blue. "Non-Crip" gangs, known generally as "Bloods" use red accessories such as caps or bandannas to identify themselves. Graffiti, a form of vandalism, is a problem that impacts our neighborhoods in a variety of ways. Without question, it decreases property values in residential neighborhoods and negatively affects industrial and commercial areas. Of greater concern is the inherent violence associated with gang graffiti. Gang members use graffiti to mark their gang's "turf" or territory. They also use it to advertise the gang's status or power and to declare their own allegiance to the gang. When a neighborhood is marked with graffiti indicating territorial dominance, the entire area and its inhabitants become targets for violence. Anyone on the street or in his home is fair game for drive-by attacks by rival gang members. A rival gang identifies everyone in the neighborhood as a potential threat. Consequently, innocent residents are often subjected to gang violence by the mere presence of graffiti in their neighborhood. (Internet; www.tpd.torrnet.com/Community%20 Relations/gang.htm) Fighting crime and dealing directly with violent gang members is best left to experts trained to handle dangerous situations. However, everyone has the responsibility to overcome apathy and fear. Everyone must work toward a solution to the gang problem. One solution is to offer alternatives to gang involvement. Youth loitering after school or hanging out on corners, provides a breeding ground for gangs. Get your child involved in extra-curricular activities, such as sports. The first and most important step is to become aware of gangs, gang members, and their activities. Citizens armed with basic knowledge are better able to avoid becoming victims of gang attack. Gangs attempt to instill fear. They intimidate rivals and citizens alike. The gang's power grows through the use of fear and intimidation. This can be countered by citizen action groups such as Neighborhood Watch. A neighborhood that is united and dedicated in a spirit of cooperation toward stopping crime and violence will greatly hamper a gang's efforts to intimidate and victimize. Get to know your neighbor. Prevention is the key to controlling gang activity. Many parents are unaware that their children are involved in gang activity. Many of the younger gang members are not aware of the realities of the violence associated with gang membership or the finality of death. Parents should look for changes in the behavior patterns of their children. Such changes include truancy, a decline in grades, changes in friends and attitude, late hours, graffiti in their bedrooms or in their school notebooks, the wearing of colors, and other indications of gang involvement. As a parent, remember to stay positively involved with your child and his/her activities. Gangs frequently gather in dark areas to avoid being seen. In these locations they will often drink, use drugs, and deface property with graffiti. Graffiti targets a neighborhood for deadly violence. Whenever possible, such areas should be kept well lighted. Outside floodlights mounted out of reach with wire covers to prevent intentional bulb breakage discourage gang loitering. In addition, graffiti should be quickly removed. The longer it remains, the more it attracts gang members. Each year there are several thousand gang crimes in the Los Angeles County area. These crimes include homicides, felony assaults, robberies, and other assorted crimes. There are over 800 active gangs in the Los Angeles County area. Many of these gangs have a combined membership of several thousand individuals. Violence is inherent in gang activity. Anybody in the area is fair game, including men, women, and children. Once, gang members used chains, knives, and an occasional homemade "zip gun". They now use shotguns, automatic rifles, handguns, and explosives. Certain gang areas are frighteningly similar to a war zone. There are many who sleep on their floor for fear of getting shot. When incidents occur, get involved and cooperate with authorities. Information concerning gang crimes or any gang activity should be referred to your local law enforcement agency.(Torrance Police Department Homepage) I believe that prevention is the key to controlling gang activity. Teamwork between the community and the Police Department can keep the community an enjoyable place in which to reside. I have read the total numbers of crimes being created by the teens in their early teens. But according to L.A.P.D.'s announcement, there has been decrease in number of teen crimes. This is only shown just on outer appearance, but it is true that teen crimes are expanding as the day go by. The brutal crimes that teens create are hard to even speak of. There are many Asians living in Torrance, where I live. You can clearly see many teens in Asians. They form many groups of gangs of having the specified of having lowerclassmen respecting the upperclassmen. Getting involved in a gang means "permanent." After one becomes a gang member one's wanting to escape or exit from the gang is impossible. If one does escape, then one will be severly punished or beaten up, so having to fear of escaping from the gang, the power of gangs are being enlargened and powerful. They are more to do a crime when they drink or are on drugs. I heard from Baumgartner K.(L.A. Sheriff. sgt.), who often comes to a shop where I work part time; that he sent this Bum to jail, who comes and goes to this store. He said that the Bum had to stay in the jail for awhile because the Bum had possession over drugs. I was shocked to hear that this Bum was to stay in the jail for only a short while, although he had possession of drugs and suddenly came to a point where I remembered my professor saying about a muderer being freed in few years because there were no rooms in the jail. First, the drugs were used for anti-pain; for killing the pains, but now they are highly addictive matters. Having the drugs being so avaliable to us, we don't know how fast our teens of today would be deeply plunged into it. Seeing a person being still addicted to drugs since they were teens, we can realize that drugs are now a huge problem of our society. We can see lot of cases, where one teen would die from doing drugs or even being alive, won't be able to lead a normal life and depending on aided programs. The Bum, that Baumgartner talked about; we aren't sure whether he took drugs or sold drugs, but the law of united states are uncomprehensible beyond what we think. Eric(18 years old) says that drugs are easy to access if you had the money. Seeing those children, I thought that we need strick rules that would protect the teens. L.A. County's sheriff Moore Benoit Siroonoson says that teen peoblems are caused from the parents. Especially, the parents of the immigrants tend to be extremly busy; having no time to take care of their children. The divorces and family problems' effect the heart of the children, having to get it deeply hurt and leading them to become a troublesome children. When we carefully analyze it, we must know and think over that, this is not just the problem of the youngsters, but also ours. III. Solutions toward Teens life related problems Teens will listen to peers before parents. Are your students misbehaving? Teacher handbooks, school of education gurus and school administrators agree: The first course of action for the frazzled teacher is to get on the phone to parents. If a student disrupts class, tell his parents to make him stop. If a child is lazy, ask them to help you get him working. But new psychological research suggests that this classic tack is a waste of everybody's time. In her book "The Nurture Assumption," Judith Harris, self-styled nonacademic and author of college textbooks on child development, now suggests that it is peers much more than parents who shape children's behavior. Mom and dad provide the genes, but beyond that there is minimal connection between their own and their child's character. Harris' research, which has been praised by such luminaries as Stanford's Robert Sapolsky and MIT's Steven Pinker, explodes the myth that children are influenced by a combination of nature and nurture. She argues that 50 years of focusing on child-rearing techniques as the basis for understanding children's behavior has blinded psychologists to the influence peers have in shaping character. Harris calls this the "nurture assumption." While the American Psychological Assn. reels over the implications of her theory, no high school teacher I know will be much surprised. Like many of my colleagues, I have never had much luck changing student behavior through parent intervention. More often than not, I dial the phone hoping to get help with persuading a teenager to exhibit a bit of self-control and instead find myself counseling frustrated parents. Mothers tend to apologize profusely as though they are the ones who have let me down. Fathers interrupted at work assure me that everything will be "handled." I worry that rather than solving a problem, I have created a new one. Over time, I have learned to save the dime and deal with misbehaving students through their peers. It helps to begin the school year with a set of student-designed behavior standards. Inevitably, the rules students write are the same ones that I could have dusted off and handed out from last year, but it makes a huge difference to have each class determine for themselves what civilized behavior will look like within their classroom. "No throwing things. Pay attention when someone else is talking. No writing on the desks. Come on time. Bring pens, paper and books. No swearing." When students transgress, it is their own rules they are breaking. A disruptive individual violates standards of behavior he had a hand in shaping. And students who behave are conforming not to the suspect authority of an adult, but to rules set by their own peers. Of course, only a fool - or someone who has never spent much time around teenagers-would believe that this technique always results in perfect harmony and yearlong cooperation. Ninth graders were born to try their parents' and teachers' patience. But the focus has shifted from pleasing us to pleasing their peers. Harris posits that whatever our parents do to us, for better or for worse, is ultimately overshadowed by what our peers do to us. Most children don't want to be like their parent, and they certainly don't want to be like their dusty old teachers. They want to be successful children. With a bit of cunning and a lot of love, we just may be able to help them be both.(L.A.Times; by Carol Jago) The Torrance Juvenile Diversion Program combines a unique blend of mental health professionals and police personnel working together to provide a wide range of intervention and prevention programs. Now currently in our fifteenth year of existence, the Diversion Program continues to coordinate youth related programs between the city of Torrance, Torrance Unified School Distric, and other community agencies. Listed below are some of our important and innovative programs designed to assist the youth of Torrance and their families. Individual and Family Therapy - focusing on family problems, adolescent adjustment, delinquent behavior, substance abuse, and child abuse. Group Counseling - Sessions accessible at high schools and middle schools, focusing on school and personal problems. Woman's Group - A mothers' support group dealing with raising children in today's complex society. Outward Bound/Juvenile Diversion - A unique blend of wilderness experience combined with group counseling. Fire Setters Program - Diversion personnel working in conjunction with the Torrance Fire Department to provide assessment and intervention for youths relating to this devastating problem. (www.tpd.torrnet.com/Youth%20Services/juvdiv.htm) 'TEEN' to Parent Communication When you are a teenager, the best friends you have are your parents. They are the people who have contributed the most to whomever and whatever you are. Don't close them out of your life when you need to discuss a problem. When parents don't take time to listen or talk with you, think positively: 1) Fix or order dinner for the family and sit down at the table to talk. 2) Time your request to talk when your parents are relaxed. * You must start the conversation. 3) Tell your parents before they leave for work or before you go to school, "when you come home tonight I need to talk about a problom I'm having." * During the day, go over in your mind what you want to say to them. 4) When you have a problem, it is your responsibility to start conversation. You must volunteer honest information about yourself. Set aside your anger, fear, or reluctance, and speak to the issue. * Your parents are not your enemy. 5) Ask questions of your parents. To better understand what they do every day, become more interested in their work. During your vacations from school visit with them at their place of employment. * You can then engage in conversation about what you have observed. 6) If you work and earn money, take your parents out to dinner. 7) Many of today's parents don't understand gangs. Explain to them how the gangs operate in your "hood." Be prepared, however, for them to ask if you are a gang member. * If you want honesty from your parents, you must give honest answers. 8) If your parents are divorced, reach out to the parent with whom you do not reside. Parents do not usually divorce their children; they divorce each other. Because your parents stopped loving each other doesn't mean that either parent has stopped loving you. * Give love and attention, and you will receive the same in return. 9) Spend some time alone and identify some of the good possessions you have. Then go to your parents and say, "I want you to know that I appreciate what you have done for me. You have shown me how much you love me. I want you to know that I love you too." * Hug each of them and say, "Thanks." 10) Parents need to be told that you love and appreciate them. * The more often you say it, the better your relationship will become. (www.lausd.k12.ca.us/police/crimstat/) The smallest part of the society would befamily, however family is the most important and precious part of the society. When we conclude all of the problems, family problems, cause school problems, and then generates to the society creating the social problem. If the family becomes pacified and smoothened then teen problems would naturally be covered up. Oscar Russell(65 years old) said that he met his son only once, 30 years after he has gotten a divorce and now he regrets it very much. Having governmental aid and earning money from part time jobs, and living a cold and lonely life by oneself. Seeing that I thought one's mistake of when one was young can lead one's life into something terrible and unwanted for oneself and ofcourse the family. When the family is lead well then, social problems are also gone. I think it is the time to love one another and understand eachother rather competitioning against one another to stay front of everyone.