NCJ Number
146755
Journal
Social Service Review Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1992) Pages: 121-140
Date Published
1992
Length
20 pages
Annotation
The latest literature on youth gangs is reviewed in order to provide social service workers with some preliminary information with which to begin planning programs that address the problem of youth gangs.
Abstract
Over the last 20 to 30 years, social workers and human service agencies have tended to focus their attention on minor juvenile offenders and runaways. Dealing with more serious juvenile offenders, including youth gangs, has been left primarily up to law enforcement agencies. This was encouraged by the political conservatism of the 1980s. Recently, however, Federal policy has begun to encourage a more active role for social service agencies in addressing the problem of youth gangs. This article reviews the latest literature on youth gangs, mainly social science studies, in order to familiarize the social service community with the issues involved. The review addresses the following subjects: research method, definition of the problem, theory, racism, behavior patterns, drugs and violence, personality issues, female membership in gangs, and policy and programs. According to the author, none of the existing literature suggests clearly how to effectively deal with youth gangs. They mainly describe programs and policies that have failed. Further research is needed to help develop effective programs and policies.