NCJ Number
161402
Journal
Research Focus on Youth Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: (1995) Pages: complete issue
Date Published
1995
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Based on an analysis of more than 1,100 gangs and other antisocial youth groups in New York State, this report describes the benefits of gang membership and presents a typology based on the rewards gang members receive.
Abstract
Interviews with gang members revealed that youths do not generally remain with gangs for the same reasons they join. In addition, youth often give more than one reasons for both joining and staying with gangs; no single reason predominates. Money was the only reason given by more than half the participants. The four other major reasons were protection, fun, friends, and status. The largest single type of gang was the money-making gang. Almost all these groups sell drugs and engage in violence to protect both members and turf. Groups of this type are more likely than others to use drugs, engage in all drug trade support activities, and rob or extort. However, this type is less likely than others to steal or vandalize. These groups are similar to the user-dealer type described in the four-type taxonomy developed in the study's second part. Additional types of gangs are protectionist gangs; fun seekers, which are small, informally organized, nonviolent groups that drink, vandalize, and shoplift for recreational purposes; friendship gangs; status gangs; and multi-benefit gangs. Findings indicated that many youth stay in gangs where they receive money and fun, even though they receive less status, protection, and friendship than they anticipated when they joined and that different interventions are appropriate for different types of gangs.