NCJ Number
149223
Date Published
Unknown
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article introduces the Stoners, a new type of gang which is associated with "heavy metal" rock and roll, but also with crime and violence.
Abstract
Though the term was originally applied exclusively to white youths, it may now include young people from various ethnic backgrounds. Stoners usually congregate at a particular area of a street or at a street corner; they average around 30 core members and any number of peripherally involved juveniles. Like other gangs, they have been implicated in such activities as gang fighting, truancy, marijuana use, violent purse snatchings, burglaries, dealing in stolen goods, and drive-by shootings. Their typical characteristics include the wearing of concert T-shirts advertising heavy metal music groups, jeans, and black shoes; long hair; and nicknames or monikers relating to the occult or satanism. This unique link to satanism is also expressed through symbols and references in their graffiti and dress; some gangs have even been known to enter burial vaults or use ritual sacrifice of small animals. Unlike traditional gangs which originate in poor neighborhoods, stoners cut across socioeconomic lines. Basic satanic/occult symbols used in graffiti, a list of hard core heavy metal bands, and a stoner name list are appended.