NCJ Number
149302
Date Published
1990
Length
73 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses documented patterns of membership in groups labeled as gangs, possible associations between gangs and violence, and unique attributes of gangs that promote violence.
Abstract
Contemporary social science has identified two primary types of gangs, namely fighting and entrepreneurial gangs. Prison and motorcycle gangs have also been the subject of some research. This paper summarizes the literature exploring the extent of gang involvement, prevalence of gangs, and amount of gang-related violence. Most studies can be classified as ethnographic, self-reports, surveys, or official statistics. While there are media, law enforcement, and some social science reports documenting dramatic increases in the number of gang members and a related increase in the seriousness of gang-related violence, various personal accounts have claimed that the gang-violence association has been overstated. Future research should focus on establishing accepted definitions of gang-related terms, comparing data on the concentration of gang activity, examining the relationship between gang membership and individuals' violence, and analyzing the degree to which group circumstances and characteristics that promote violence are unique to gangs. 1 table, 41 references, and 1 appendix