Criminology - Gangs (MS-13) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Criminology - Gangs (MS-13) - Essay Example However, the stiff affiliation to the group led to the eruption of criminal activities in the American region as the group’s majority members were poor, and executed any criminal act in order to achieve their perceived lifestyles. The perception that the cultural theory influenced the gangs formation emanates from the evidence presented by the video that presents different interviews sourced from the former gang members. It is known that many of the gang members are teenagers while others are as young as eight years old (Siegel & Welsh, 2014). The argument accrued from the information provokes the understanding that the gang embraces the use of criminal ideologies to rob, assassinate, and vandalize properties at the expense of the rival people in the American community (Strippas, 2014). Therefore, the use of the cultural theory is the influential aspect that has led to the rise of illiteracy levels amongst the highly connected criminal organization that has been a menace in the Northern Virginia region amongst other American states (Baumeister & Masicampo, 2010). The Mara Salvatrucha- 13 Gang started in Los-Angeles from the Pico-Union, an organization that comprised Salvadorans who had migrated into America following the Central American civil wars. The 13 numerical sign emanated from the M alphabet, which is the thirteenth alphabet. Arguably, a notorious gangster called Eme initially used the alphabet. It is evident that the social environment influenced a majority of the Salvadorans to embrace the movement as they lived under poor conditions. In the present, the MS-13 Gang’s membership is estimated to comprise a population exceeding 100,000 members who are spread in over 42 states in the U.S.A. The notorious gang is renowned for its use of subculture codes in communication. Further, the gang members bear tattoos on their