The cause and effect of joining a gang with reference to Mara Salvatrucha 13According to the Cambridge Dictionary (nd), a gang is defined as “a group of criminals working together”. Gangs are a powerful force that pose a constant threat to society. As of 2011, the National Gang Center (nd) estimates that there are 782,500 gang members in the United States alone. Mara Salvatrucha 13, also known as MS-13, is one of the largest and most threatening gangs. HIDTA (nd) believes that Mara Salvatrucha 13 has approximately 10,000 members in the United States and several thousand more members in Central America. Joining a gang is justified by the need for protection, money and promotion of self-image. Joining an established gang, like Mara Salvatrucha 13, involves a lifestyle change that includes harmful induction, following a strict code, carrying out assignments, and a life of loyalty. Reasons to Join a Gang Individuals generally join a gang as young adults but are sometimes recruited as early as elementary school. Society generally views gangs as dangerous groups to stay away from, but for a street youth, a gang offers a sense of family. Gangs have the advantage of protection and being part of a pack. When Latinos came to the United States as illegal immigrants they had very few resources and were essentially homeless. A simple solution was to join a gang. Mara Salvatrucha 13 profited from this scenario, growing exponentially in strength and size (Illegal Immigrant Gangs Commit Most US Crime, 2009). One of the initial reasons for the formation of Mara Salvatrucha 13 was to protect immigrants from other gangs, but it ultimately ended up far surpassing the competition in both size and strength (2009). The prospect of financial security offered another logical reason to join