Gangs are nothing new in our society and have been present in the United States for centuries. Many gangs are located in disadvantaged communities where youths may be lacking parental supervision and/or attachment and may be surrounded by people, including family members and peers, who are gang affiliated. In addition, gangs may also provide one a sense of worthiness (i.e. acceptance, importance), protection, and a source of income. Many people, especially youths, turn to gangs for these reasons. There are many ways of determining whether one is gang affiliated, some of which include symbols (color of attire and hand symbols/handshakes), tag names, tattoos, and uncommon phrases/terms. In addition, many gangs have a turf, which is a territory that is under control of the gang, often decorated with graffiti art. Often gangs require an initiation to get in and they engage in antisocial behaviors, participating in illegal…show more content… Outlaw motorcycles gangs (OMGs) are identifiable through symbols, however they are well known for wearing leather jackets decorated with patches. Each patch has their own meaning and displays each person's rank. Many assume that all motorcycle clubs are OMGs, however OMGs only consists of 1% of this group (Europol online editors, n.d.). They are present world-wide, including areas in Europe, Spain, the United States, etc. Gang members in the military pose a major threat to society being that they can easily access guns and other weapons and have the training on how to use many of these often foreign machinery (Johnson, 2011). In addition, they are constantly traveling, making it easier for them to expand globally. According to the FBI gang assessment report, the military has seen “53 gangs and 100 regions” in the armed forces, including members of street gangs, prison gangs, and
