NCJ Number
146788
Journal
Sociological Practice Review Volume: 2 Dated: (January 1991) Pages: 29-39
Date Published
1991
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article examines what academics know about gangs, how they know it, and what they propose to do about gangs.
Abstract
What researchers and practitioners know about contemporary gangs and the best ways to respond to them is still influenced by the work of Frederic Thrasher, whose study of 1,313 gangs in Chicago during the 1920's remains a classic (Thrasher, 1963). This article identifies the major questions about gangs discussed by Thrasher, along with the recommended responses that he and subsequent researchers have offered. Regarding what is a gang and who is in it, Thrasher and others generally found gangs to be a phenomenon of adolescence. Gangs were formed out of "play groups" found in a particular neighborhood. The identity of the group was fixed by defending that territory against "outsiders." Most young men "grew out" of the gang habit as they matured and assumed adult responsibilities. The parochial quality of gangs was reinforced by their segregated membership. Regarding the kinds of activities in which gangs engage, Thrasher found that gang members engaged in many activities together, only a portion of which could be classified as delinquent. The delinquent acts done by gang members often did not involve all members. The only activity that demanded the attention of nearly all members was fighting for the protection of territory. Thrasher found the gang to be a natural part of the local community. Its members and general activities were known to area residents. Thrasher and other researchers have agreed that making individual gang members targets of intervention does not solve the gang problem. The gang problem is rooted in the nature of communities. Efforts most likely to have a long-term impact on the gang problem are those that counter economic, educational, and subcultural conditions that spawn gangs. The article concludes with a discussion of the role of researcher as activist in efforts to resolve the problems they identify and analyze. 12 references