GANGS, VIOLENCE, AND POLITICS (FROM VIOLENCE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, 1975 BY DUNCAN CHAPELL AND JOHN MONAHAN - SEE NCJ 29557)

• NCJ Number: 29565
• Author(s): J F SHORT
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Lexington Books
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE AUTHOR BELIEVES THAT THE RELIANCE UPON VIOLENCE BY LEGALLY CONSTITUTED AUTHORITIES HAS COME TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM IN OUR SOCIETY AND PERHAPS EVEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR OT GANG VIOLENCE.

Abstract

THE ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE IDEA THAT GANGS HAVE CHANGED LESS THAN HAVE PUBLIC IMAGES OF GANGS AND THE GREATER ACCESSIBILITY OF HANDGUNS AND THE CHANGING ECOLOGY OF CITIES HAVE INFLUENCED MOST GANG YOUNGSTERS, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY, TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN HAVE RECENT IDEOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL MOVEMENTS. ALSO, THE POLITICIZATION OF A FEW GANGS IN A FEW CITIES HAS OCCURRED PRIMARILY AS A RESULT OF FORCES EXTERNAL TO THE GANGS RATHER THAN FROM WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED LEADERSHIP AND STRUCTURE OF THE GANGS. IN THE PROCESS OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, THE AUTHOR FEELS, THE VIOLENCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN FULLY AS IMPORTANT AS HAS THE VIOLENCE OF GANGS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)