gangs Flashcards
gangs
(definitional criteria)
National Gang Center
- 3+ members
- shared identity (name/color/symbol)
- view themselves as & recognized by others to be a gang
- group has some pemanence & degree of organization
- group is involved in an elevated level of criminal activity
gang myths
- all gangs are formally organized
- gangs of the same name are all connected
- gangs come from somewhere else
- all gangs are alike (in composition, leadership, crimes)
- all gang members are minorities
Thrasher (1927)
gang history
first comprehensive study of youth groups:
found that gangs originate naturally from playgroups that eventually find themselves in conflict with other groups
gang history
- thrasher in 1927
- chicago gangs were politicized in the ’60s (social upheaval)
- concerns about gangs rose in ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s
gang statistics
National Gang Center - 2012
- ~850,000 members active in 30,700+ gangs
- 2,363 gang-related homicides
- every city with a population of 250,000+ reported gang presence
- ~30% of all reporting law enforcemenrt agencies reported gang activity
- gang activity is more concentrated in large urban areas
- most common gang prevention strategies: targeted patrols & dedicated gang units
social gangs
types of gangs (9.1)
use lots of alcohol & marijuana but don’t use many other drugs or engage in many acts of delinquency
party gangs
types of gangs (9.1)
heavily into drug use & sales but few other types of delinquency
serious delinquency gangs
types of gangs (9.1)
not heavily involved in drug use & sales but instead commit many other acts of delinquency
“organization” gangs
types of gangs (9.1)
have a hierarchy that is linked to an adult criminal organization & has members involved in all sorts of delinquency: drug use & sales, as well as other delinquent acts
gang activity
in the past
- macho posturing
- fighting over turf & colors
- drive-by shootings (‘90s)
recently
- activity becoming increasingly serious
- activity is more violent & weapons more likely involved
- activity is more sophisticated
research shows that gang members spend most of their time in noncriminal pursuits
gangs & race/ethnicity
many gangs are formed among racial lines: earliest gangs & prison gangs especially
about 1/3 of youth gangs are thought to be mixed-race gangs
race can be important to understanding gang history, but its not as important as media makes it out to be
gangs & race/ethnicity (stats)
2012
46% - Hispanic
35% - African American
11% - White
7% - Asian/other
race-based gangs
gangs and race/ethnicity
Hispanic
MS-13 & Latin Kings
African American
Crips & Bloods
White
Simon City Royals & Aryan Brotherhood
Asian
Fullerton Boyz & Tiny Rascal Gangsters
female compositon
gangs & gender
girls comprise ~ 1/4 of youth in gangs
girls’ participaiton in gangs
gangs & gender
autonomous gangs
mixed-gender gangs
auxiliary gangs
girls close but not involved are still at risk
girlfriends, sisters, etc.
research on girls
gangs & gender
- girls enter/exit gangs at earlier ages than boys
- girls in gangs are less violent than male counterparts
- girls are less involved in serious gang crime than male counterparts
individual-level risk factors
why do juveniles join gangs
- antisocial beliefs
- early participation in violence
- early substance use
- history of abuse victimization
family-level risk factors
why do juveniles join gangs
- single-parent households
- parental attitudes favoring violence
- low bonding with aprents
- poor family management
- sibling antisocial behavior
peer group-level risk factors
why do juveniles join gangs
associations with friends who engage in problem behaviors
school-level risk factors
why do juveniles join gangs
- low academic achievement
- low school attachment
- low school commitment
neighborhood-level risk factors
why do juveniles join gangs
- availability of marijuana
- neighborhood youth in trouble / in gangs
Decker and Van Winkle (1996)
why do juveniles join gangs
push:
external factors that move a juvenile toward circumstances that foster gang involvement
pull:
internal factors that make gang life more attractive to the individual
other reasons
why do juveniles join gangs
- girls look at joining gangs as a way of finding another family
they’re often objectified & sexually abused in the gang - juveniles are looking for a sense of belonging & a way to build a sense of self-worth
OJJDP’s multi-pronged approach
- community mobilizaiton
- opportunities provision
- social intervention
- suppression
- organizational change & development
additional responses to gangs
- legislation creating harsher penalties for gang-related offenses
- establishing cooperative task forces of federal, state, and local authorities
- establishing gang units in police departments
- using civil gang injunctions
preventing students from joining gangs
tedxblair - Jose Segura
- showed how gangs can be a family for many kids and that prevention work shouldn’t focus so hard on taking kids out of gangs
- shows how gangs are ways to access opportunity for many kids
framed gangs as a family & opportunity issue
