At the age most gang members join, no they don’t. Most young people don’t have an appreciation for the consequences of their actions, that’s why the hospitals are full of young people having done acts of stupidity (criminal and noncriminal).
It takes until about the age of 25 for the brain to develop the synapses needed for the appreciation of consequences.
You’re not going to convince some young person to not join a gang by having to line up gang bangers against a wall and shooting them, then putting their heads on a pike for all to see.
Oh, I think that would be very effective, not saying I advocate it.
“It takes until about the age of 25 for the brain to develop the synapses needed for the appreciation of consequences.”
Only if the parents have not done their...JOB!
No, even toddlers learn consequences and no not to do something that you don’t want them to do. Think how very untamed that toddler can be without rules, and rules mean nothing without consequences.
Now schools really don’t have consequences and parents can be put through the social services wringer when little ? decides he/she doesn’t want to follow those rules. Then things go from somewhat controlled to out of control very fast. (can’t touch them ya know)
So when we look at the ‘gang’ bangers we are looking at kids who are looking for no rules and believe it is with the gang, (no grown up rules) the sad part is the consequences if they don’t follow the gang ‘rules’ are much worse then if they had just followed those in school and home. For some reason they think those consequences are ‘cool’ .
For petes sake many young adults are raising kids of their own, including these bangers before they are 25, don’t hide behind crap like saying that young adults don’t know consequences. they do.