After two videos went viral Friday of fights in the Moncrief area, Jacksonville community leaders say such videos are part of a larger problem of increased community violence.
Pastor Nashon Nicks works with at-risk youth. He told Action News Jax that the area has seen an increase in girl gangs.
“Anytime you see ladies acting like animals it’s just appalling," said Nicks. “When you’re trying to survive, you’ve got to blend in in order to fit in. This is way beyond peer pressure.”
According to Nicks this type of violence is a day-to-day reality for most in the low-income areas of Jacksonville.
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“What we saw in those videos is a reflection of an environment that’s been pre-contaminated," Nicks said.
The pastor says young men and women are headed for futures filled with felonies and jail time unless there’s serious change.
“That behavior is only going to be reproduced until the environment changes, the education changes the economics change and then they’re truly empowered," Nicks said.