What are Gangs?

Gangs are steadily growing in numbers through the years. Young gangs are often viewed in a negative way and associated with violence and crimes.

Urban street-gangs are becoming widespread. They are penetrating not just the big cities but in small towns too. Gangs are considered as a problem because they promote socially deviant behaviors and worse, criminal activities ranging from petty to violent crimes and drug trafficking.

Reasons for Youth Involvement with Gangs

Youth gang formation is brought about by various reasons particularly the deteriorating inner-city economic conditions. Some kids grow up in indigent areas where the environment is characterized by poor housing, underfunded schools and law-violating youth gangs.

Others, although wealthier, grow up in dysfunctional families, and some are called “losers” because of their perceived inferiority from others. Kids whose parents are behind prison bars are all too familiar with these experiences.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) National Youth Gang Center recently completed the first nationwide survey of youth gang problems. In the 1995 survey, 2,007 law enforcement agencies reported gang activity in their jurisdictions, a total of 23,388 gangs, and 664,906 gang members. Forty-nine percent of these agencies described their gang activity as "getting worse”.

Male and Female Gang Membership

Although gangs appear to be more highly structured than delinquent groups, they may still be regarded as loosely organized. Gaining entry to these gangs or becoming a member is based on several factors such as age, geographic area or neighborhoods.

Some gangs form part of bigger groups called “nations.” Gang size ranges from as small as four or five members to thousands. Gangs group their members into different types core members: gang leaders, associates or regulars, peripheral or fringe members, and “wannabees” or recruits.

The core may be regarded as an elite circle that decides on the primary activities of the gang. It is unclear how gang members maintain long-term roles and specific position. Some members may join for a short time. Others may transfer from one gang to another. Common to all these gangs is the fact that core members are into criminal activities than fringe members.

Male and Female Gang Involvement

According to researches, females are found to be more likely to join gangs at a younger age and leave earlier than men. Female involvement in gangs is viewed as less important compared to their male counterparts.

Also, the female criminal behavior is oftentimes directly or indirectly associated to the dominant male. Female gang members play more positive roles than others believed to be so. They are more inclined to control behavior of male gang members rather than abetting them to commit crimes.

The socialization processes in gangs differ according to age, context, and situation, including gaining entry to alternative roles. There are various reasons for joining gangs: recognition, status, safety or security, power, excitement, and new experience. Youth raised under conditions of social deprivation are particularly drawn to gangs.