Gangs, Juvenile, I. Introduction and Definition

Gangs are not a new phenomenon. Even though they have been studied continuously by criminologists over the past century, there is much we do not know. Further, the activities and organization of gangs seem to change over time. It is very difficult for researchers to give the term gang one concrete definition. Gang can refer to a variety of groups, some of them comprising adults and some comprising youth. The latter constitute most citizens' perception of gangs, primarily because of the media attention paid to youth gangs. For this entry, the term youth gang refers to any group of teenagers who participate together in deviant and delinquent activities. Police departments often have a different definition, sometimes relying on a definition provided by the state. Texas, for example, defines a criminal street gang as “three or more persons having a common identifying sign or symbol or an identifiable leadership who continuously or regularly associate in the commission of criminal activities.”

Gangs have a more formal structure than do delinquent groups, but the word gang is used loosely to define criminal groups who commit deviant acts. Many gangs tend to come together only by territory or geography. Males have historically made up most of gang membership; however, female gangs and participation by females in mixed-sex youth gangs are becoming more common. Gangs tend to thrive in poverty-stricken neighborhoods, mostly in sections of cities where police response tends to be low.

Gangs are a way of life in some neighborhoods. They can be a problem for cities and towns, big and little, urban and rural. Historically, most youth gangs could be found in low-income neighborhoods of sizable metropolitan cities. Gang activity is still found predominantly in the inner city, but gang members are mobile and can transport their hostility wherever they want. It is a fact that gangs are a universal problem.

Topics in this entry explore in more detail some of the major issues related to youth gangs today:

• 1.
  Whether or not they are spreading and, if so, where.
• 2.
  The extent to which they are responsible for crime and violence.
• 3.
  Determining what constitutes gang membership.
• 4.
  The connection between prison and street gangs.
• 5.
  Female participation in gangs.