Currently this community has to struggle with the proliferation violent street gangs who can be engaged in deviant or criminal activities. The main task is to find cost-effective solutions to this problem. This issue should be addressed with the help of a transformational leadership theory which is helpful for changing the behavior of individuals. These are the main issues be examined more closely.
There are social trends that may contribute to the growing number of street gangs. First of all, one can speak about the decreasing enrollment in public schools. Moreover, one should take into account that school dropouts are more likely to take part in illegal activities (Rumberger, 2011, p. 136). As a rule, one can speak about adolescents who are more susceptible to peer pressure.
Thus, street violence can be reduced provided that educational organizations improve their functioning. Moreover, it is important to speak about the change in the number of public safety personal. Street gangs can become more active at the time when police officers cannot respond to their crimes as quickly as possible (Welch, 2001, p. 143). This is another trend that influences the life of this community.
Finally, one should not overlook the effects of illegal immigration. There are several community improvements which are essential for the effective solution of the problem.
First of all, one can speak about increased role of educators and social workers who need to identify young people who are at risk of joining violent gangs. Secondly, the availability of low-cost housing is also vital for the reduction of crime. These are the main trends that contribute to crime or deviant behavior.
This problem affects primarily various members of this community. However, one should pay close attention to the needs of African Americans and Hispanics (Anderson & Taylor, 2010). The growing number of street gangs can destroy many families.
First of all, many people can be sentenced to jail, and this means that many households can be deprived of financial support (Anderson & Taylor, 2010). Moreover, children can emulate deviant behavior, if they regularly observe the activities of street gangs. These are the main effects that should be considered.
Additionally, this problem requires the changes in the professional activities of many people. First of all, one should consider social ethics. In particular, governmental officials and educators should understand the underlying causes that can prompt people to join street gangs.
Much attention should be paid to economic difficulties within a family, lack of educational opportunities, or even discrimination. In this case, empathy is critical for governmental officials who interact with people affected by street crime. Moreover, educators and social workers should identify the factors which can contribute to the deviant behavior of adolescents. In this way, they prevent a person from joining street gangs.
On the whole, transformational leadership theory can be helpful for decreasing the number of street gangs. This approach implies that a leader should set examples for his/her followers. To a great extent, this strategy should be adopted by teachers who work with delinquent teenagers.
Furthermore, transformation leadership is based on the principle that creativity and independent initiatives should be supported. This issue should be considered by teachers. Thus, transformational leadership theory can be relevant to this situation since it is helpful for changing the values and behavior of people.
Reference List
Anderson, M., & Taylor, H. (2010). Sociology: The Essentials. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Rumberger, R. (2011). Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of High School and What Can Be Done About It. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.
Welch, S. (2001). Race and Place: Race Relations in an American City. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.