Quote Originally Posted by slapout9 View Post
IMO this is the real problem and it is the same for kids joining gangs in America or anyplace else for that matter. Don't have an answer but this is the problem
The answer lies in the perception/subjective estimation of the chance of success. That's (one of the reasons) why morale is so important.

Gang members underestimate the drawbacks and overestimate the advantages, especially their chance of becoming part of an elite group of (obviously few) really rich gangsters.
They do also have seemingly strange preferences, like an apparent overvaluation of things like prestige and reassurance.

They drop out once they become disillusioned and realize that selling pot means much more trouble, but not much more money than working at McDonald's in most cases.

Both gang members and combatants have a problem, though: They cannot easily drop out of their system. Desertion is associated with huge risk.
And as long as they're stuck in the system they depend on group loyalty, comradeship*. Many German WW2 veterans agreed that their primary motivation to fight was because they were responsible for their comrades who in turn were responsible for them. Soldiers fought/fight for their comrades*, and that motivation is very difficult to crack.

(*: Is this a correct translation at all? In German it's Kameradschaft and Kamerad(en), btu I'm not sure about the translation.)