Differences in Male and Female Gangs

Male and female gangs differ when it comes to severity of crimes and the reasons for joining. Addressing this problem requires the cooperation of several groups.


Gangs or youth street-gangs have taken peer pressure to the next level as authorities grapple with ways to contain these wayward youth groups. Gangs are particularly linked to crimes and violence. The threats these groups present to society are both alarming and disturbing.

Male and Female Gang Crimes

According to research and studies, males are responsible for majority of gang-related crime, specifically violent offenses. Female gang crimes only comprise around 5 percent or fewer of all reported gang crime.

One of the possible contributing factors for this is the fact that ratio of male gang members to females is 20 to 1. An estimated half of the youth or street gangs may have female members. Some gangs are comprised of both male and female.

Members sometimes remain in gangs longer to be able to engage in various criminal acts for money. Extreme gang violence is often committed by older teens and young adult gang member. The average age for gang offenders is 17 or 18. The average age of those who commit gang-related homicide is 19 or 20 and the victim a year or two older.

Drug offenses are the most common offenses by female gang members. Around one-half of female gang members and three-fourth of the male gang members had sold cocaine at some point. Generally, female gang members have fewer violent crimes than male gang members and are more inclined to property crimes and status offenses.

Similarities and Differences of Male and Female Gangs

Similarities

male and female gang members are usually of the same age, status and ethnicity
they got into gangs for various reasons ranging from peer pressure to abuse
they both play active roles in drug trafficking
they both hold positions or roles in the gang
Differences
young women often join gangs due to abuses particularly sexual abuses they suffered at home; young men are for economic reasons
men are more prone to committing criminal acts especially violent in nature
men are perceived as leaders of the gang and women’s actions are influenced by men to a great extent
more male gang members than female; 20:1 ratio
women enter gangs at a younger age than men and they leave earlier too
How to Deal with Gang Problems

Youth gang problems have infiltrated even small towns in the United States. Criminal activities particularly drug trafficking have increased and become one of the basic activities of the gangs. Due to this, gangs have become a threat to the peace and order of communities.

The most effective way to deal with gang-related problems involves the cooperation of several groups and sectors in the community. Suppression, intervention, and prevention should be the focus of their drive.

Community leaders must asses the extent of the gang problem.
Community must work with the justice system to be able to curb effectively gang-related problems
Leaders of the community must develop specific goals and coordinated strategies after assessing the problem
Coordinated Strategies

Community participation
Providing social and economic opportunities to gang members
Outreach programs for youth
Formal and informal control procedures to suppress gangs
Extending support and supervision to gang members to curb social deviant behavior.
For those people involved in addressing gang problems, the task may seem intimidating even insurmountable. The best way to handle this is to break down one big problem to smaller more solvable ones such as handling graffiti problems in a particular area first rather than the entire town immediately. This will enable individual members to come up with solutions that are more applicable to a specific place.