o ​​Children who grow up with the presence of gangs in their home may have a dominant force by joining a gang. As you grow up with this presence in your environment, you learn to imitate speech, dress and eventually you can even imitate their actions. Children tend to look up to their older siblings or parents; and seeing older siblings or parents being in a gang will to some extent influence the child with the negative and violent denigrating behaviors of gangs. • Does a neighborhood infiltrated by gang activity encourage children to join gangs? o The presence of gangs in neighborhoods plays an ambiguous role in the lives of young people. Young children are easier to influence. Young children are more curious about what they see happening in their neighborhood. Their curiosity can influence them in a positive or most likely negative way.