In most gangs, becoming a member requires a right of passage administered by the veteran members. Usually, most are a test of strength, courage, and determination. In some cases, however gang initiations yield more dangerous results.
·The “Beat-In”: This is probably the most common form of induction into a gang. This is a right of passage that scrutinizes your strength, endurance, and stamina.
·The “Drive-by shooting”: This usually involves a dispute with a rival gang. This also helps the gang by sending in an expendable unit in.
·The “Murder”: The gang forces the person to kill a rival gang member or innocent victim. Again, the new member is expendable.
·The “Sex favor”: This type of induction is usually reserved for female members who are not expected to go through the beat-in. However, there are cases in which males are also subject to this initiation, mostly in jails and prisons.
This is truly only unique to street gangs. Besides the methods mentioned above, many members, in reality, are let in on the basis of family ties or friend ties. Furthermore, sometimes all one needs to do to join a gang is to get a tattoo or tag a building. Most of the time, there are certain requirements to leaving a gang that are analogous to those demanded to enter. Gangs are not the only groups that have initiation rights but only with gangs do they sometimes cross the line into unlawfulness.