JUVENILE GANGS

Juvenile Gangs

Juvenile Gangs

Introduction

Gangs have been the subject of much attention since the significant increase in gang-involved violence around the 1980s. The discussion around gangs is fraught with controversy and contradiction from the most basic level, such as how to define a gang, to the most complex, including what to do about them. The least debatable characteristic about gangs is that they are responsible for a disproportionate amount of delinquency. This fact makes gangs particularly interesting to the media, researchers, law enforcement, and policymakers. The depiction of gangs offered by these parties; however, do not always converge, as defining gangs is a problematic issue. Understanding gang composition and structure is a complex challenge as well, and there has been ongoing debate regarding the extent of gangs in America (and abroad), as well as the most appropriate and effective methods for addressing the problem. Many controversies surround gangs and the various methods of dealing with the gang problem in the United States, including law enforcement and intervention techniques (Klein, 2006).

The debate begins at the foundation of the gang problem. What is a gang? There is general agreement by law enforcement and researchers that some criminal outfits like the mafia or organized crime, prison gangs, outlaw motorcycle groups, and hate groups such as white supremacists should not be equated with criminal street gangs (e.g., the Bloods or Crips). Criminal street gangs are composed primarily of youths, whereas these other groups are adult criminal organizations and are therefore considered distinct (Klein, 1995).

Discussion

Defining Juvenile Gangs

Aside from a broad focus on youth groups, the definition of a gang has been debated since the earliest qualitative work on street gangs. In short, interested parties have not been able to come to a consensus regarding what characteristics of gangs are universal enough to be shared among all gangs, but specific enough to distinguish gangs from any other youth group (Howell, 2000). This is particularly challenging when decades of research shows that most youths who engage in crime do so during adolescence, and usually in groups. So, what distinguishes a group of delinquent friends from a street gang?

Much of the preoccupation with gangs centers on the amount of crime that gangs commit. Gang members commit more crime than non-gang members, but researchers have been at odds with whether or not a commitment to crime should be included in the definition of a gang. It is circular logic to state that gangs commit more crime than non-gang youth groups, and to be classified as a gang, the group must commit crime (Esbensen, 2008). Without an acknowledgement of their criminal involvement, however, would a gang be distinguishable from any other youth group that shares a name, has colors or signs, or rituals and rules (e.g., fraternities, or sports teams)?

Media and pop culture depictions of gangs usually implicate race/ethnicity of members, clothing, territoriality, organizational structure, signs, colors, or monikers. There is no consensus regarding the appropriateness of including some or all of these gang ...