It seems that as the years go by,we hear about so many crimes committed by youths.One memorable crime that comes to mind is the shooting at Columbine High School that happened on April 20,1999 in Littleton,Colorado.Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were associated with a group called the "trenchcoat" mafia.This group is made out of students that are an outcast from the school.When the shooting occurred,it was targeted to athletics.The athletics were popular and had great social influence at the school,which was one of the main reasons that the "trenchcoat" mafia hated.This is an example of youth gang and a horrific crime that they committed.14 students and 1 teacher died from the shooting.It was clear that when Dylan and Eric planned for the shooting,they were going to kill all the athletics.
This is an important historical development,representing the extension of gang behavior and gang culture into new regions of the country and with new styles.While the gangs may have begun in imitation of such gangs as the Crips and Bloods,and may still wear typical gang clothing and paraphernalia,they are more of an organization of those youth who are prone to violence and delinquent behavior than they are instances of ethnic turf battles.Again,another movie might be helpful in thinking about these kinds of gangs.The movie Grease portrayed a certain class of young teen-agers who had clothing,culture,and behaviors in common.Yet,they were not seen as youth gangs,but as a faction or clique within the overall high school environment.In 1999,however,these greasers are more likely to be organized into youth gangs of the type identified in Puyallup.They have borrowed some of the behavior and culture from the urban gangs,become more organized,and engaged in more conflict between groups.They tend to harass and intimidate the other students.
The spaces and places that youth inhabit are essential aspects of their physical,cultural and historical identity.Youth culture is argued to be a system of social relations where articulation of contacts and influences are drawn from power relations,fashions and habits (Massey,124).Thus,the relations that take place between youth and society have an impact on shaping not only their perceived space but youth's identity and culture as well.The cognitions that youth collect relative to important settings in their lives help shape what has been referred to as their place identity.Place identity evolves,"not merely in response to the physical properties of children's surroundings,but also as a product of social roles -their own and others- that help them understand who they are and how they are to behave" (Boocock,36).This engagement with spaces,places,and people contributes to their competence in,and control over,their world and their culture.Doreen Massey argued that all relations that construct space are in one way or another always instilled with power.It is believed that sometimes adults possess a certain power over controlling youth and their perceptions of their respective environments.Although adults feel this control over place is playing an active role in the safety of youth in today's society,their control is in fact inhibiting the growth of youth today.
