NCJ Number
146781
Journal
Juvenile Court Judges Journal Volume: 8 Dated: (March 1957) Pages: 24- 28
Date Published
1957
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Juvenile delinquency sometimes takes on certain abnormal aspects that can lead to serious problems if not unchecked; gang activity is one such abnormality.
Abstract
The gang is the product of a mob psychology that can occur as a result of several factors. A youth may have too much idle time due to parental neglect, parental employment, or parental inability to cope with problems; inadequate recreational resources; unemployment; or inadequate adult leadership in the school or neighborhood. The two types of gangs are temporary gangs that form because of some real or imagined slight and permanent gangs that exist for the sole purpose of vandalism, tribute, and mischief. Efforts to address gangs should involve the police, the probation department of the juvenile court, and the school system. Schools should be the focal point of the efforts, and clergy and community organizations should also be involved. The author is a juvenile court judge