This article is part of the Vol. 58, No. 2 issue of the OJJDP-sponsored Juvenile and Family Court Journal. The article looks at the public perception of youth gangs as well as how gangs in less populated areas are misrepresented.
Since the 1980s, youth gangs in the United States have been a high priority for law enforcement and the subject of a great deal of media attention, particularly in urban areas. Despite all the attention given to them, youth gangs remain poorly defined and vaguely characterized, and in many less populated communities, myths about youth gangs complicate the determination of appropriate community responses. To assist communities in combating gangs, this article illuminates numerous gang myths and contrasts them with research-based realities. It concludes with implications and recommendations for community—including juvenile court—responses to gangs.