Straight from the horse's mouth. Harry Tam long-time Mongrel Mob member on why more young people are joining gangs:
“Their parents and grandparents have never worked, they've been on the benefit because they're either unskilled or low-skilled. The economics doesn't make it worth their time,” he said.
This situation has only been aggragvated by our stupid Labour government which has linked benefit rates to wages.
Nine out of every ten gang members have received main benefits.
Ninety-two per cent (3,627) of the total 3,960 known gang members received main benefits from MSD at some stage between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2014.
The 3,627 gang members spent on average 8.9 years on a main benefit (not necessarily continuously). Over half the time was receiving job seeker-related benefits and nearly a quarter of the time was receiving health or disability-related benefits.
Eighteen per cent of all gang members had received a main benefit for a total of over 15 years, whereas 13 per cent received main benefits for two years or less, and eight per cent had not received main benefits at all.
Add to this that benefits have disrupted family life by fuelling a sole parent industry. Young men joining gangs are either following in their father's footsteps or don't have one.
Gang expert, Jarrod Gilbert:
“These young people are often raised without the presence of their fathers or other positive male role models."
The state has actively created and cultivated conditions whereby gangs will grow in numbers.
3 comments:
It would be interesting to know the income prospects for a young man joining a gang in NZ. Career path and graduated pay? Any data?
Lindsay, all true and not going to go away anytime soon.
The benefit system is a gold mine for those clever enough to know how to milk it.
The gangs have become an iwi authority in their own right. They have developed their own rules and connections to the "system" to ensure the welfare flows for their whanau. Coupled with organised crime, its a nice little earner.
Victimhood Culture leads to Slave Culture.
Slave Culture leads to Honour Culture, gangs.
It's formulaic!
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