Gangs are seen by many people as a problem in society. The first signs of active gang activity are believed to be in Western civilization. Around the early 1600s, more structured gangs began to appear. In 1783, gang activity in the United States emerged. This has not only affected adults, but also many young people and communities surrounding these groups of people. Influence came from everywhere, taking advantage of the progress of these structured alliances. The origin of the gangs has no precise location. The regional focus helps determine how cultural differences and migration have influenced these groups. The emergence of these groups in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States has been fueled by immigration and poverty. The Irish, Poles, Italians and Jews arrived around 1820-1920. The harsh conditions spanned generations and shaped subsequent gangs. The western region was more influenced by pre-existing Mexican culture as well as Mexican migrations. More precisely Los Angeles and Albuquerque. These regions then welcomed more immigrants to the Deep South. The Northeast, West, and Midwest regions showed the first signs of street gangs in the United States. Although the first gang formation was not too threatening, more serious gangs began to appear around the 19th century. In New York, they are believed to have emerged around 1820. As Howell, 1999, 2006 indicates, serious gangs tend to be classified as having a history of many years, a wide variety of members, being organized, meaning having a certain type of hierarchy with leadership roles, and being involved in violent crimes during street presence, including homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and firearm use. Researchers and journalists viewed gangs as a male phenomenon. For this reason, not much information...... middle of article ......ds (Pesce and Wilczynski, 2005). The most effective programs for helping young people combat bad influences contain skills development strategies. One way schools themselves can help is to start enforcing the dress code more, watching for any signs of gang or color affiliation. Overall, studies show that schools that try to keep their students in school and away from poor resources improve academically. Over time, the gangs and their activities evolved and set the course for what remains today. Works Cited Howell, C. James; Decker H. Scott. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Internet. January 28, 2014.Howell,C. James; Moore P. John. National Gang Center. Intergovernmental Research Institution.2010. Internet. January 28, 2014.Moore Joan; Hagedorn Jean. Nagia. No. Nd. Internet. January 30, 2010. Pesce C. Rosario; Wilczynski D. James. “Gang prevention”. Nasponline. No. November 2005. Web. January 28 2014.