Street Gangs Flashcards
Is it necessary for a group to be involved in criminal activity, in order for it to be considered a gang?
No. According to Alleyene and Wood (2010), if the ‘criminal activity’ criterion were non-existent, the definition of a gang would be too broad.
Who agreed on a conventional definition of a gang which has 4 criteria? The _____ network of _____ researchers.
The European Network of Gang Researchers proposed a definition of a gang which includes 4 criteria.
What are the 4 criteria of a gang?
- Durability (it doesn’t mean much if it aint there for long!)
- Street orientation (lecture theatre orientation doesn’t count)
- Youthful (gang members generally aren’t old geezers)
- ILLEGAL ACTIVITY
Who found that gang members are more likely to engage in drive-by shootings, commit homicide, assault and robbery than other at-risk juveniles?
Huff (1998).
According to Bendixen et al (2006), membership of a gang _____ the likelihood of committing crimes, EVEN for individuals who already engage in ____ behaviours before they were a member of a gang.
According to Bendixen et al (2006), membership of a gang increases the likelihood of committing crimes, EVEN for individuals who already engage in delinquent behaviours before they were a member of a gang.
Who are more likely to use violent weapons? Gangs or delinquent youth who are non-gang members?
Gangs are more likely to use violent weapons than delinquent youth who are non-gang members (Kelin et al, 2006).
It seems that there is something about gangs which makes a unique contribution to criminal behaviour, which prior delinquency cannot explain. In other words, it seems that gang membership ____ delinquency.
It seems that gang membership augments delinquency.
One criminological theory of gang involvement is the theory of Social Disorganisation. Who proposed this theory?
Thrasher (1927) proposed the theory of social disorganisation.
The Social Disorganisation Theory of gang involvement (Thrasher, 1927) posits that economic ____ leads to the ____ of institutions that may otherwise have provided consistency for youths, such as churches, schools, and family. In turn, gang members become attracted to gangs because they can ____ the consistency which other institutions lack.
The Social Disorganisation Theory of gang involvement (Thrasher, 1927) posits that economic INSTABILITY leads to the DISRUPTION of institutions that may otherwise have provided consistency for youths, such as churches, schools, and family. In turn, gang members become attracted to gangs because they can SUPPLEMENT the consistency which other institutions lack.
Support for the Social Disorganisation Theory of gang involvement (Thrasher, 1927) comes from ____ (2003), who found that gangs tend to come from areas that are more ____ ____.
Support for the Social Disorganisation Theory of gang involvement (Thrasher, 1927) comes from RIZZO (2003), who found that gangs tend to come from areas that are more SOCIALLY DISORGANISED.
Another theory of gang involvement is the theory of cultural transmission, which posits that delinquency and gang involvement is passed on to future generations. Support for the cultural transmission theory comes from Kakar (___), who found that gang members tend to have family members who are also involved in criminal activity.
Support for the Cultural Transmission Theory comes from Kakhar (2005).
One theory of gang involvement ultimately posits that you ‘become who you hang out with’. What is the name of this theory?
The Theory of Differential Association posits that you become who you hang out with. If youths hang out with people who have pro-crime attitudes, they are more likely to have pro-crime attitudes themselves. Similarly, if youths hang out with people who have anti-crime attitudes, they are more likely to have anti-crime attitudes themselves.
Amato and Cornell (2003) and Kakhar (2005) found that hanging out with delinquents is a _____ to gang involvement.
Amato and Cornell (2003) and Kakhar (2005) found that hanging out with delinquents is a PRECURSOR to gang involvement.
____ (1938) proposed strain theory.
MERTON (1938) proposed strain theory.
According to Strain Theory (Merton, 1938), society sets certain goals for members to achieve, but the opportunity to reach these goals is ____. Gang members are individuals who experience strain due to low ____ _____. They then develop norms which counter societies’ norms as a means of retaliation. For these individuals, joining a gang is a viable alternative to living in a society where they feel _____ to achieve the goals which society has set for them.
According to Strain Theory (Merton, 1938), society sets certain goals for members to achieve, but the opportunity to reach these goals is UNEQUAL. Gang members are individuals who experience strain due to low SOCIAL STATUS. They then develop norms which counter societies’ norms as a means of retaliation. For these individuals, joining a gang is a viable alternative to living in a society where they feel UNABLE to achieve the goals which society has set for them.
Evidence for Strain Theory (Merton, 1938), comes from Eitle (2004), who found that pre-teen stress (possibly down to not reaching society’s _____) is a contributing factor to gang involvement.
Evidence for Strain Theory (Merton, 1938), comes from Eitle (2004), who found that pre-teen stress (possibly down to not reaching society’s GOALS) is a contributing factor to gang involvement.
Another theory of gang involvement is the Theory of Differential Opportunity. This Theory was proposed by ______ and Ohlin (196_).
The Theory of Differential Opportunity was proposed by Cloward and Ohlin (1961).
According to the Theory of Differential Opportunity (Cloward & Ohlin, 1961), disadvantaged youth have relatively fewer positive opportunities than middle class youth, but disadvantaged youth have ____ opportunities to offend than middle class youth.
According to the Theory of Differential Opportunity (Cloward & Ohlin, 1961), disadvantaged youth have relatively fewer positive opportunities than middle class youth, but disadvantaged youth have MORE opportunities to offend than middle class youth.
What does Social Bond Theory posit?
Social Bond Theory posits that having bonds with others inhibits criminal offending and anti-social behaviours.
According to Control Theory, why does gang membership occur?
According to Control Theory, gang membership occurs because members want to gain short-term rewards in the quickest manner possible e.g. stealing cash to buy drugs.
In other words, these individuals have poor self-control capacity. Hence the name ‘Control Theory’.
What is group-based retribution?
Group-based retribution is where a member of an ingroup is attacked by a member of the outgroup and as a result, the ingroup retaliate by attacking the outgroup.
THEORETICALLY, under which two conditions is group-based retribution most likely to occur?
- There is no central authority figure overseeing both groups
- Resources are scarce and both groups are motivated to appear strong
RESEARCH demonstrates that group-based retribution is increasingly likely to occur if three factors are present. What are they?
- The provocation is INTERGROUP provocation
- The individuals within the group have a strong ingroup identification, making them increasingly motivated to retaliate
- The members of the ingroup perceive the outgroup as having high entitativity (a ‘tight unit’ with shared attitudes, values and goals)
Interestingly, the positive relationship between perceived outgroup entitativity and group-based retribution only appears to exist for ____.
Interestingly, the positive relationship between perceived outgroup entitativity and group-based retribution only appears to exist for GANGS.
Peripheral youths are young people who do engage in criminal activity but are ____ members of a gang.
Peripheral youths are young people who do engage in criminal activity but are NOT members of a gang.
Research demonstrates that peripheral youths commit ____ crimes against the person than gang members.
Research demonstrates that peripheral youths commit MORE crimes against the person than gang members. Perhaps this is due to a desire to be accepted into the gang.
A similarity between peripheral youth and gang members is that there is not significant difference in the amount of ____ crime committed.
A similarity between peripheral youth and gang members is that there is not significant difference in the amount of PROPERTY crime committed.
What is displaced aggression?
Displaced aggression is behaving aggressively towards a person who is not responsible for the negative affect.
Some people refer to displaced aggression as the ‘kicking the dog effect’.
What is triggered displaced aggression?
Triggered displaced aggression is where an individual is disproportionately aggressive towards a person who has committed only a minor provocation.
Why should we expect gang members to have a tendency to displace aggression?
- Gang members perform non-normative behaviours which bring them into conflict with innocent people, such as police. This can lead gang members to displace their aggression onto the police.
- Gang members live in a social world where they are more likely to experience negative affect, which PRIMES aggressive responding.
- Displacing aggression onto the innocent and being primed to respond aggressively may both contribute to rumination, which can be defined as provocation-focused thought. Rumination can maintain negative affect and cognitive representations of provoking events, leaving the individual primed for aggressive responding.
Gang members are actually believed to ruminate ____ than non-gang members, because some gang members believe that anger is ____.
Gang members are actually believed to ruminate MORE than non-gang members, because some gang members believe that anger is USEFUL.
Research shows that men are more likely to engage in displaced in displaced aggression if (2 points):
- They are a member of a gang
2. They are prone to rumination
Research has found overwhelming similarities between European and ____ gangs (Klein et al, 2006) and consequently, the majority of what we know about gangs comes from research in the ____.
Research has found overwhelming similarities between European and American gangs (Klein et al, 2006) and consequently, the majority of what we know about gangs comes from research in the US.
