Criminal gangs

Gangsterism

Nature

Criminal gangs are organized groups engaged in illegal activities such as drug trafficking, extortion, robbery, and violence. They often operate within specific territories and use intimidation or coercion to maintain control. As a social problem, criminal gangs contribute to increased crime rates, undermine public safety, and disrupt communities. Their activities can lead to fear, economic decline, and weakened trust in law enforcement. Gang involvement is frequently linked to poverty, lack of education, and social exclusion, making prevention and intervention complex challenges for authorities and society. Addressing criminal gangs requires coordinated legal, social, and community-based strategies.

Background

The global significance of criminal gangs emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as urbanization and migration fueled their proliferation in major cities. International concern intensified with the rise of transnational syndicates in the postwar era, prompting coordinated law enforcement responses. Scholarly and policy attention has since expanded, recognizing gangs as complex social phenomena with far-reaching impacts on security, governance, and youth vulnerability worldwide.

Incidence

In 1999 in Jamaica, troops were given emergency power to patrol the capital after the government had "declared" war on criminal gangs that were estimated to have killed 500 people in a six month period.

Claim

Bulgaria is known for its Olympic class wrestlers (claimed to be mass-produced by the old Soviet regime to personify the heavy-set virility of socialist labour in the world's sporting arenas). Following the collapse of the communist bloc, many wrestlers have become part of a new "thugocracy" – the Bulgarian word for "the wrestlers" (borsite) has now become the slang term for gangsters. Former state-paid secret policemen also work with the gangs, mostly as advisors.

Counter-claim

The concern over criminal gangs is vastly exaggerated and does not warrant the attention it receives. Most communities are unaffected, and the media sensationalizes isolated incidents, creating unnecessary fear. Resources would be better spent addressing real, widespread issues like healthcare or education. The obsession with gangs distracts from more pressing societal needs and perpetuates harmful stereotypes, rather than fostering genuine safety or progress. Criminal gangs are simply not an important problem in today’s world.