NCJ Number
156719
Journal
Journal of Gang Research Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: (Summer 1995) Pages: 1-10
Date Published
1995
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article about female gang members is part of a larger research project that compares the socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics of Hispanic gang members in three diverse gangs in Los Angeles County.
Abstract
A field study was conducted during 1993 in the Los Angeles County areas of East Los Angeles, Whittier, and Norwalk to identify traits that contribute to expanding Hispanic gang membership and violence. Selected literature and computer archival data were reviewed to provide insight into Hispanic gangs and their activities. Field research data were obtained from two waves of surveys and a series of oral interviews with gang members and nongang members. The research was quasi- experimental in that random selection of gangs and gang members was not possible. Fifty-two multiple-choice questions were administered to 142 Los Angeles County gang members (102 males and 40 females). Data addressed demographic information, personal behavior, family characteristics, school activity, religion, rules, violence, economics, and gang characteristics. Responses of female gang members were extracted, compiled, and analyzed for the purposes of this article. The majority of the female respondents were between 14 and 19 years of age. Among the findings of the current study that reinforce the findings of current literature, females are isolated from society and alienated from social institutions; they drop out of school at early ages. In support of the literature, the study shows that females engage in violent and/or other criminal behavior. Findings also show that alternative forms of socialization are necessary, since approximately one-third of the females joined a gang for companionship. 22 references