NCJ Number
189441
Editor(s)
Jody Miller,
Cheryl L. Maxson,
Malcolm W. Klein
Date Published
2001
Length
360 pages
Annotation
These 29 essays focus on gangs and gang behavior and represent an anthology of recently published articles on gangs, with emphasis on the definition of gangs; their prevalence, structures, and activities; and society’s policy and program responses to them.
Abstract
The articles define gangs as a social and legal problem, review various ways of examining them, and discuss their behavior patterns and efforts to prevent and control gangs. Topics include theories about gangs, research on gender and ethnicity in relation to gangs, recent developments such as gang proliferation and gangs outside the United States, and contemporary programs and policies for dealing with gangs. Individual papers focus on process-based and delinquency-based approaches to gang definitions, the history of gang research, Hispanic gangs in Southern California, risk factors for gang membership, and findings of the 1997 National Youth Gang Survey. Additional papers examine the contribution of gang member migration to the national proliferation of gangs, street gang structure in the United States and Europe, and gangs as organized crime groups in Chicago and San Diego, CA. Further papers discuss race and gender differences between gang and nongang youths in eighth grade, female gang involvement, Chinese gangs and extortion, the evolution of one gang clique into a drug gang, and the differences between street gangs and neo-Nazi skinheads. Other papers focus on gang involvement in violence and drug law offenses, gang homicide, drive-by shootings, gun ownership and gang membership, policies to strengthen neighborhood-level social control, the national evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program, a police anti-gang suppression program, innovative strategies involving deterrence, civil gang abatement, and the strengths and weaknesses of various public policy responses to gangs. Tables, figures, notes, chapter reference lists, and list of 27 recommended readings