NCJ Number
138728
Date Published
1992
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This chapter examines the new youth gangs to determine who they are, who joins them and why, what functions they serve, how much diffusion has occurred, how gangs have evolved, what linkages exist between gangs and drugs, and what policies might be considered to address youth gangs as a social problem.
Abstract
Gangs are separated from other adolescent groups by the gang's more routine involvement in illegal activities, a greater tendency to claim some form of "turf," and better- developed leadership. The vast majority of gang members in the United States are 14- to 24-year-old males. There is evidence that such gangs meet the need for "male bonding" for those who come from female-headed households. Gangs have evolved from the classic street-corner, neighborhood turf- oriented gangs to contemporary gangs that just as often define as turf their girlfriends, designated shopping malls, and local skating rinks. Schools are now caught up in gang battles and recruiting wars. Another evolutionary development has been gang migration from large metropolitan areas to smaller cities, where there is less competition for drug turf and law enforcement is less intensive. This chapter profiles three nontraditional criminal gangs: the Crips and Bloods of Los Angeles, Chinese gangs, and Vietnamese gangs. The author recommends that the gang problem be addressed through the development of a full- employment economy, targeted youth services and youth employment, a mandatory national Head Start program, and targeted community-based programs. 55 references