NCJ Number
139801
Date Published
1990
Length
1 page
Annotation
This segment of the Denver Youth Survey, involving a sample of adolescents aged 11, 13, and 5 years, found that only a small proportion of youth in high-risk areas belonged to delinquent gangs.
Abstract
Many street gangs existed in Denver, but respondents indicated that not all gangs were delinquent gangs. Nongang members and members of nondelinquent gangs had low rates of delinquent behavior, while delinquent gang members had proportionately higher rates of delinquent involvement. On average, members of delinquent gangs reported more than 10 times the number of minor assaults, more than 10 times the number of serious assaults, more than 10 times the number of serious thefts, and more than 30 times the number of drug sales than their nongang and nondelinquent gang counterparts. In comparing delinquent gang members with other offending youth, delinquent gang members committed only two to three times more minor assaults, serious assaults, and drug sales and were similar to other offenders in minor and serious theft rates. Both boys and girls were members of delinquent gangs, and most youth joined delinquent gangs when they were between 13 and 15 years of age. In terms of gang roles, only a few delinquent gang members indicated they were a leader, while about 35 percent said they were one of the gang's top people.