Gangs

Definition of Gangs

There is no consensus about what comprises a gang or being a gang member. Providing a single definition has proved to be difficult because gang activities have shifted and evolved over time. However, most definitions include the following elements:

• An organizational structure—This refers to having some aspect of internal order including participation in regular meetings, having leaders or core gang members, and seeing themselves as a group.
• A group of individuals who share a sense of identity—This involves the use of symbols to create a shared sense of identity. Gangs commonly use symbols such as a name, special clothing or colors, and allegiance to a specified territory.
• Involvement in criminal or antisocial activity—This characteristic is tautological by nature. Most definitions include a reference to delinquent activity, allowing a defining feature to be a possible product of gang activity.

These elements are used to varying degrees depending upon the specific function the definition will serve. Although there is no consensus to what constitutes a gang, there is significant agreement that gangs exist and they disturb the life of their community.

Characteristics of Gang Members

The typical age for gang members ranges from 12 to 26 years old. However, gang members have been seen as young as 8 years of age and as old as 50, with an average age of 17 to 18 years old. Male gang members outnumber female gang members; however, actual estimates of female gang involvement vary greatly. Law enforcement records indicate that fewer than 10% of gang members are female; nonetheless, self-report studies consistently find rates ranging from 10% to 40%. Females have been found to join gangs later and often leave earlier than males.

Gang activity has been reported in every state. Gangs now inhabit nearly all of our cities and are present in many of our suburbs and rural communities. In large cities with populations exceeding 250,000 people, almost all law enforcement agencies [Page 220]report consistent gang-related activities. In contrast, in cities with populations under 25,000 people, only 13% of law enforcement agencies report gang-related activities. Despite this lower percentage, there has been a proliferation of gangs in smaller cities and rural areas. Additionally, female gangs are more likely to be found in these smaller communities than in major urban centers.

Gangs are often seen as primarily consisting of African American and Hispanic members; however, self-report measures indicate that almost 25% of gang members are white. The 1998 Youth Gang Survey indicated that the ethnicity of the gang members is closely tied to size of their community. In rural communities, whites accounted for almost 33% of gang members, while in urban areas, only 11% of gang members were white. Also, individuals with other backgrounds have been associated with gang membership, including Asian-Americans, Irish-Americans and Russian-Americans.

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