Youth Gangs in Schools

• NCJ Number: 183015
• Author(s): James C. Howell Ph.D.; James P. Lynch Ph.D.
• Date Published: August 2000
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP Youth Gang Series
• Grant Number(s): 95-JD-MU-K001
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Survey

Annotation

This survey found that gangs were very prevalent in schools, with 37 percent of students surveyed in the 1995 School Crime Supplement (SCS) reporting gangs in their schools.

Abstract

Eligible respondents to the SCS were between 12 and 19 years of age and had attended school at some point during the 6 months prior to the interview. Respondents were asked about their victimization experiences during the last 6 months and whether the crime occurred at school during the 6 months prior to the interview. The 37 percent who reported gangs in their schools included nearly two-thirds of Hispanic students, almost half of black students, and one-third of white students. Students in middle to late adolescence who lived in households with incomes of less than $7,500 and who had been personally victimized were most likely to report gang presence. These students were most likely to attend public schools in cities with populations between 100,000 and 1 million. The largely urban schools employed a large number of security measures, had high rates of victimization, and were places where drugs were readily available. The most criminally active gangs were reported by both male and female students between 15 and 17 years of age. Students reported that most gangs they saw in schools were actively involved in criminal activities, and gangs significantly contributed to school-related victimization. 13 references, 5 endnotes, and 9 tables