I'd say the entire organisation is membered by really bad people who call for some really horrific things. Are there some boys who call themselves AQ because they are lost? Likely so, lost in the sense that whatever was dysfunctional in their lives has resulted, if not already predisposed, into a truly malignant disposition enough to join such a horrid movement and purpose that poses such danger and harms to others. As for having no real options, that part I don't believe. In the case of gangs, some people are forced into them although that's not the rule and even then many such people who really don't accept that try to escape when possible. People ordinarily have choices whether or not to join a criminal gang even when poor with other problems. The sinister allures of being part of a gang, easy money and other perks or even forced perks via crime, the desire to act out on evil urges born of their disposition and/or experiences, etc, motivate that kind of choice. Being poor or having a 'bad childhood' are no excuses given so many don't go that direction in the same situation. Even if it does explain some of the reasons why a person may have gotten there, it makes no difference as to what society often ought to do about them. In many cases, it's like trying to debate why the vicious dog is chewing your leg apart. Something played a role in making the dog that way, but the fact remains that it is a vicious dog and you must beat it off your leg with whatever you have, and it likely will have to be destroyed either voluntarily or by law as a vicious dog. For example, many Mexicans and other Latin American are poor with other problems. Yet, the gangs prey on the poor by robbing, raping, murdering, intimidating, enslaving for sex trafficking, drug trafficking, etc. Who are the victims and perpetrators in that? There is no excuse for me for joining those gangs. They are ruthless and destructive and for bad reasons by bad people. Insofar as you might be referring to some kid who calls himself a 'Crip' or 'Blood' because he's a juvenile idiot with bad facts leading to bad judgement rather than an actual member and does not actually participate in it, I'd agree such a person might be a candidate for juvenile rehabilitation before he actually acts upon it. I also believe it's the kind of organisation one can leave at their own risk but it has to be on their own call. But once someone joins it, and so long as they remain in it, all bets are off IMO...they belong in prison as a social menace and criminal conspirator in serious crime. And being in the business of dealing with them as I am, a large number remain in that way of life until they are incarcerated or killed, and whilst out on the street, their entire purpose is harmful and deadly to society. As for AQ, they have even less excuse along the lines you said. People join that different kind of organisation because they believe in very radical and violent aims that aren't even grounded in common criminal enterprising schemes and therefore lacking any rationality in them. A gang member may not bother you if you're not bothering with them or getting involved with them or they may curtail or be more guarded about certain behaviours due to reactions to them, but to an AQ person, they are doing it because they have an extreme view of a Higher Power and its callings for people on Earth. What is a person going to offer a suicide bomber thinking he'll get 72 virgins in Paradise with Allah's eternal rewards programme? A weekend in the Bahamas? Some life counselling? I think he belongs in prison and he's getting more leniency than actually entitled under any application of rights within their proper boundaries. There are a few reasons for that, the main thrust of which was enough people wanting to deal reasonably, fairly and peacefully with others. But it's not completely over yet. Whilst most took the reasonable path with a reasonable settlement, there are some dissidents on each side and although they are very small in number, they're trying to punch above their weight with violence to get things going again. As with other examples above, many of those types have found recruits from 'young tough' types from poor neighbourhoods with 'bad childhoods' with major chips on their shoulders, anger issues, passions for extreme responses, etc, but you can see how unreasonable and malignant types can be so destructive and seek wider destruction via their means.