Biker Gangs

Biker gangs, also known as outlaw motorcycle gangs, are close-knit factions of motorcyclists connected by collective attributes such as deviant subcultural values and norms; a core, hierarchical leadership structure; regulations for joining and successfully maintaining full membership status; an established moniker and other shared trademarks that denote membership (e.g., vests, patches, colors, and mottos); a chosen locale and clubhouse; and a significant, persistent integration of criminal activity into the group through the actions of its members and/or leaders. These enigmatic organizations are interwoven with subcultural norms emphasizing hypermasculinity, unruliness, and a tendency toward violence and other crime that sets them apart from law-abiding motorcyclists and conventional society. As a result of their unique subculture and makeup, biker gangs occupy a distinctive niche within the universe ...