Scooby Doo and the Mystery Crew are not a Real Gang

Figure 1 Scooby Doo and the Mystery Crew

Scooby Doo and his group of crime fighting friends (figure 1) consider themselves a gang, but the gangs we're talking about today are not groups of people who fight crime and hunt monsters. Gangs are groups of people who hang out together often to participate in illegal activities to make money (1). This is very unlike the Scooby crew, although both groups watch out for each other like a family would.

People join gangs through the process called initiation. Initiation is when the new person has to prove they are worthy of being a member through a task (1). This task is often illegal like robbing a person and ends with the person being beaten up badly by other gang members. When the person is hurt or risks going to jail, they prove how willing they are to be a part of the group and become a member for life. Many gangs try to get new members by going to schools in the area and getting young people to join. This is why you need to know about gangs and the dangers that go with them. Lots of people think their only chance to make money is to join a gang but in reality gang life leads down bad roads.

Figure 2: Gang pictured in prison

Gangs will do crazy things as a way to make money. This means sometimes members will rob places, sell illegal guns or even drugs (3). This can be very dangerous because there are other people looking to make more money and will fight for it. Another danger comes from the police because if members are caught they will go to jail. A gang is shown in jail in the picture to the left. 

The idea of making money is a reason many people going gangs. People become desperate if their family needs help or they want to live a different life style. All of gang's ways to make money are dangerous and make neighborhoods unsafe. Knowing about the dangers of gangs help us to make opinions on them and the way we all choose to live life. There are many different paths to take but my advice to you is to join the mystery crew, not a street gang. 

References:

(1) Evidence Integration: Gangs. (n.d.). Retrieved from 

https://www.crimesolutions.gov/OJPResearch.aspx?Research_id=6