Gangs

Definitions of Gangs

One of the key features of gangs is that there is no accepted definition of what a gang is. However, every definition includes some reference to a group. That said, since most delinquent acts or crimes committed by juveniles are done in groups, it is important to distinguish between groups and gangs. Unlike most groups, most gangs also have symbols of membership—for example, distinctive clothes, hand signs, and ways of wearing certain clothes. While many groups of young people come and go with great fluidity, gang membership also includes some level of permanence. Most definitions of gangs also require that a gang be in existence over a prolonged period of time, generally a year or more. A number of definitions of gangs also include turf- or gangidentified territory as a part of the definition. A key element used to distinguish a gang from a group is involvement in crime. Without this feature, a gang resembles many other groups, such as Boy Scouts or a fraternity.

The Evolution of Gangs in the United States

Gang development in the United States has been more cyclical than linear in that gangs have tended to come and go rather than 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 [Page 535]rapid immigration. These gangs roamed the streets of their neighborhoods engaging in petty forms of property crime and small conflicts with members of rival gangs. Gang activity declined between the turn of the century and the 1920s.

However, youth gang activity increased during the 1920s. These gangs were very different organizationally from the adult gangs of the Prohibition era, though many organized crime figures (including Al Capone) were members of delinquent youth gangs before moving into organized crime. During the Depression and World War II, gang activity declined. When gangs reemerged in the1960s, 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, which can be attributed to the presence of guns and automobiles.

The 1980s saw dramatic increases in gang activity. At the beginning of that decade, gang problems were recognized in only a few large cities, particularly in Chicago and Los Angeles. However, by the end of the decade, gangs appeared in large and medium-sized cities as well as in many rural areas. Levels of violence were much higher than any previous wave of gang activity, and as in the 1960s they were made worse by the widespread availability of automobiles and firearms. The recent spread of gangs has been attributed on the one hand to the emergence of an urban underclass and on the other hand to the effects of a popular culture that makes gang symbols, clothing, and language commodities available almost anywhere in the United States.

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