Gangs

Definition of a Gang

Although there is disagreement about the exact definition of a gang, every definition includes some mention of a group. Because most delinquent acts or crimes [Page 756]committed by juveniles are done in groups, distinguishing between groups and gangs is important, and more elements of a definition of gangs are needed. The use of symbols is a second element in defining gangs. Most gangs have some symbols of membership, which take a number of forms, including hand signs, clothes, and certain ways of wearing clothes. Gang definitions also include some level of permanence to the group, because many confederations of young people form over a single time-bounded issue, only to disband. Most gang definitions require that the gang be in existence over a prolonged period of time, generally a year or more. A number of definitions of gangs include turf or gang-identified territory as a requisite element. Many contemporary gangs do claim some territory as their own, because it is either where the gang began or where most of the members live. A final element, which is the key to distinguishing a gang from other groups, is involvement in crime.

It is not as difficult to define a gang member as it is to define a gang. The best indicator of who is in a gang comes from self-identification or self-reports of membership. Many police departments keep detailed records of the names of gang members as gang identification files. There can be shortcomings in these files, however, as information can be dated or based on misinformation, or can fail to reflect changes in gang affiliation by individuals.

The Evolution of Gangs in the United States

Gang development in the United States has been cyclical rather than linear—that is, gangs have tended to come and go rather than to be a constant feature of society. In the late 1800s, youth gangs emerged in the slums of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh during periods of rapid immigration. Italians and Irish immigrants were overrepresented in the ranks of gang members. These gangs roamed the streets of their neighborhoods, engaging in petty forms of property crime and conflict with members of rival gangs.

Gang activity declined between the turn of the century and the 1920s. These youth gangs were very different organizationally from the adult gangs of the Prohibition Era, although many organized crime figures were members of delinquent youth gangs before moving on to organized crime. The major activity of these gangs was the search for thrills, excitement, and fighting. During the Depression and World War II, gang activity declined. When gangs reemerged in the 1950s, they included large numbers of African American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican American youths. In addition, levels of violence were higher than in previous periods of gang activity. This can be attributed to the presence of guns and automobiles.

Gang activity increased in the 1980s. At the beginning of that decade, gang problems were recognized in only a few large cities, particularly Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. But, by the end of the decade, gangs appeared in large and medium-sized cities as well as in many rural areas. The levels of violence were much higher than in any previous wave of gang problems, corresponding with even more widespread availability of automobiles and firearms. The spread of gangs at the end of the twentieth century has been attributed, on the one hand, to the emergence of an urban underclass and, on the other, to the effects of popular culture, which makes gang symbols, clothing, and language commodities available in large and small cities.

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