Yablonsky gives the example of LK, a thirteen-year-old gangster: “the gang gave this emotionally needy youth a sense of self-respect and power in his chaotic world . » LK was physically abused by his drug addict father when he was young. His father's physical abuse caused him to develop low self-esteem and he thought he was a loser. However, the gang gave him the positive approval and power he desperately needed. As a result, physically abused children believe that gangs are the only place they can gain power. Isis, a former gangster, says: “I really liked the feeling that no one could bother me. That I was invincible. There were violent students in Isis's high school and she also had to act violently to protect herself, which made her feel invincible. Physical violence makes children self-centered and they feel that gangs can make them strong and that no one would abuse them. Furthermore, Luis says, “I wanted what Thee Mystics had; I wanted to have the power to hurt someone. When Luis saw that Thee Mystics were doing violence and everyone was afraid of them, he also wanted the power that Thee Mystics had that he never had before because he had been physically abused many times. Therefore, children who are physically abused want the power to hurt others, which leads them to engage in criminal behavior and join in..