Gang violence has been a problem around the world for hundreds of years. The main area where gang violence remains and has increased is Los Angeles. From the 1940s to the present, gang membership rates have increased dramatically. The organizations work to prevent people from joining a gang at a young age and help people who have escaped a gang and are looking for closure. Gangs are self-formed groups of peers (Gedatus). People usually join them to have people they can rely on and call family since they have none in their homes (Gedatus). Gus Gedatus says it might work in their family too, so they feel they have to band together to be like that family member. Gang violence can include drug dealing, vandalism, theft, bullying, or threats. Females make up only ten percent of each group and are usually forced to sell their bodies for sexual purposes, then abandoned if they become pregnant (Gedatus). According to Gus Gedatus, leaving a gang is usually difficult because they are threatened or afraid of having no friends when they leave. In 1600, the mafia was created in Sicily; made up of elongated kinship associations (Gangs Before Thrasher). Gangs began in Los Angeles in the 1940s, starting with the white gang, Ku Klux Klan, which led to the formation of black and Latino gangs in response to them (South Central History). The government didn't start getting involved until the 1970s when the Black Panther Party and the Brown Berets came into play (south central story). They formed COINTELPRO, which stood for COunter INTELligence PROgram to combat these two groups (South Central History). After the government eliminated the Black Panther Party and the Brown Berets, Bloods and... middle of paper... activities to reach them, college preparation and leadership development (Crime Solutions). In conclusion, gang violence has been a major problem since the 1600s and still is in modern life. Even though some gang ideas have changed completely since then, there are still some of the same practices and mentalities of gang members. Nowadays, organizations act to prevent people from joining a gang and help those who are recovering. Works cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. np Nov. 19, 2013. Web. Feb. 10, 2014.CrimeSolutions.gov. npnd January 30, 2014.Gedatus, Gus. Gangs and violence. Missed, Minnesota. Capstone Press. Network. February 3, 2014Gang before Thrasher. npndWeb. 5 February 2014. History of central-south. npndWeb. January 28, 2014.Walker, Robert. Gang O Us. Robert Walker. 1999-2013. Network. January 30 2014.