Youth Gangs in American Society

Preface. Foreward. 1. Introduction. 2. What do Gangs and Gang Members Look Like? 3. The Gang Subculture. 4. Criminal Activities of Gangs. 5. Girls and Gangs. 6. Why are There Gangs? 7. Gangs in Context: Inequality in American Society. 8. Community-Based and National Intervention Strategies. 9. Legal Intervention Strategies. 10. Conclusions. Reference. Name Index. Subject Index.

FOREWORD BY TODD CLEAR

x

PREFACE

xii

1 INTRODUCTION: A BRIEF HISTORY OF GANGS

1

(38)

The Recent Growth of Gangs: A Focus on Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Chicago

8

(9)

Los Angeles Gangs

9

(4)

Milwaukee Gangs

13

(1)

Chicago Gangs

14

(2)

Some Concluding Thoughts on the Recent Growth of Gangs

16

(1)

What Is a Gang?

17

(5)

Chicago's Use of Descriptors to Gang-Related Crime

22

(2)

Stereotypes of Gangs

24

(2)

How Many Gangs and Gang Members Are There?

26

(4)

Gang Migration

30

(6)

Are There Gangs in Rural Areas?

32

(4)

Summary

36

(1)

Notes

37

(2)

2 WHAT DO GANGS AND GANG MEMBERS LOOK LIKE?

39

(30)

A Word of Caution

39

(1)

An Overview of Gang Structures

39

(2)

Illustrations of Gang Typologies

41

(4)

Types of Gangs

42

(1)

Types of Gang Members

43

(2)

The Supergangs of Chicago: People and Folks

45

(2)

Hybrid Gangs

46

(1)

Ethnic and Racial Typologies of Gangs

47

(8)

Chicano Gangs

47

(2)

Asian Gangs

49

(5)

African-American Gangs

54

(1)

White Gangs

55

(6)

Some Common Characteristics of Gang Members

61

(6)

Gang Members as Defiant Individualists

62

(1)

Gang Members as Victims and Victimizers

63

(4)

Summary

67

(1)

Notes

67

(2)

3 THE GANG SUBCULTURE

69

(35)

The Nature and Origins of and Socialization into the Gang Subculture

69

(7)

Joining a Gang

76

(6)

Reasons for Deciding to Join a Gang

77

(2)

Gang Recruitment

79

(1)

Additional Comments on Gang Recruitment

80

(1)

Who Does Not Join a Gang?

81

(1)

Leaving the Gang

82

(2)

Belief Systems of Gang Members

84

(2)

A Case Example: The Code of the Streets

86

(4)

Social Control in the Gang

90

(1)

Gang Members and their Families

91

(3)

Gang Graffiti and Tattoos

94

(9)

Purposes and Styles of Graffiti

95

(8)

Summary

103

(1)

Notes

103

(1)

4 CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OF GANGS

104

(32)

Introduction: An Overview of Gangs and Crime

104

(4)

Entrepreneurial Activities of Gangs

108

(3)

The Gang as a Business: A Case Study of the Diamonds

111

(4)

Gang Violence

115

(8)

Individual Violence by Gang Members

118

(3)

Organizational Gang Violence

121

(2)

Gangs and Drugs

123

(4)

The Drug-Dealing Business of Gangs: Skolnick's Study

127

(7)

Limitations of Skolnick's Study and Some

Counter-Evidence

132

(2)

Summary

134

(1)

Notes

134

(2)

5 GIRLS AND GANGS

136

(41)

Trends in Girl Gang Membership

139

(4)

Girl Gang Membership and Their Crimes

139

(3)

Types of Female Gangs

142

(1)

Moving Beyond the Stereotypes: The Social Context of Girl Gangs

143

(32)

Class and Race

143

(3)

Crime and Drugs

146

(5)

Reasons for Joining the Gang

151

(6)

Relationships with Males and Male Gangs

157

(5)

Family-Related Issues

162

(9)

School and Work

171

(3)

Some Concluding Thoughts

174

(1)

Summary

175

(1)

Notes

176

(1)

6 WHY ARE THERE GANGS?

177

(30)

Social Disorganization/Social Ecology Theory

179

(4)

Strain/Anomie Theory

183

(7)

Strain Theory and the Institutional Structure of Society: Crime and the American Dream

185

(3)

Differential Opportunity Structures

188

(1)

Social Embeddedness

188

(2)

Cultural Deviance Theories

190

(1)

Cohen's Culture of the Gang

190

(1)

Lower Class Focal Concerns

190

(1)

Control Theory

191

(3)

Social Learning Theory

194

(2)

Gangs and Maslow's Hierachy of Needs

196

(1)

Rational Choice Theory

197

(3)

The Labeling Perspective

200

(2)

Critical/Marxist Perspectives

202

(2)

Summary

204

(1)

Notes

205

(2)

7 GANGS IN CONTEXT: INEQUALITY IN AMERICAN SOCIETY

207

(24)

Some Introductory Comments

207

(1)

Recent Changes in the U.S. Economy

208

(5)

The Development of the Underclass

213

(4)

Recent Changes in the Labor Market

217

(4)

Isolation in the Inner Cities

221

(3)

Poverty and Family Structure

224

(2)

How These Changes Relate to the Growth in Gangs

226

(2)

Summary

228

(1)

Notes

229

(2)

8 COMMUNITY-BASED AND NATIONAL INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

231

(32)

Introduction

231

(2)

Types of Intervention Strategies

233

(8)

Spergel and Curry's Typology of Interventions

233

(2)

The Perceived Effectiveness of These Strategies

235

(1)

Other Intervention Typologies

236

(5)

A Risk-Focuses Approach

241

(1)

The Social Development Strategy

242

(2)

Components of Successful Programs

244

(1)

Some Specific Illustrations of Community-Based Interventions and Programs

245

(9)

A Model Program: The Detention Diversion Advocacy Project

251

(3)

Broad-Based National Strategies

254

(7)

Summary

261

(1)

Notes

261

(2)

9 LEGAL INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

263

(29)

A Historical Overview

263

(2)

The Legal Response to Youth Gangs

265

(24)

Law Enforcement

265

(12)

Prosecution

277

(2)

The Courts

279

(4)

Legislatures

283

(3)

Three Strikes and You're Out

286

(3)

Summary

289

(1)

Notes

290

(2)

10 CONCLUSIONS

292

(9)

Notes

300

(1)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

301

(22)

INDEX

323

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Youth Gangs in American Society

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