Gangs
Gangs, groups of persons who associate for social or criminal purposes. The term street gangs is often used to refer to criminal gangs in inner cities. The discussion in this article will be limited to such gangs in the United States. In the 1990's, it was estimated that organized gangs existed in more than 800 cities and towns.
Gangs are mainly composed of homogeneous racial and ethnic minorities. Most are African American or Hispanic; some are Asian or white. Gangs usually have their own territory—turf, 'hood, or barrio—which can range in size from a block to a large section of a city. Membership can range from as few as 10 to 1,000 or more. Gang members are young, mainly between the ages of 12 and 30, with an average age of about 20. Most gangs are predominantly male, but there are some female gangs. In the United States, about one-third of all adolescent gang members are female. Female gang members, however, account for less than 10 percent of all gang-related homicides.
Many persons join gangs to feel a sense of belonging; others are coerced into joining. Some characteristics of those who join gangs are difficulty in school, low self-esteem, defiant and aggressive behavior, a greater-than-normal desire for status or companionship, and a boring, uninvolved life.
Gangs are generally well-organized, with a well-defined chain of command. Typically, the gang has a leader who directs the membership through lieutenants. These lieutenants, sometimes called “hard core” members, hand down the leader's orders to the fringe or marginal members of the gang. The fringe members are the youngest and most numerous. Gangs have a strong group cohesiveness and a code of loyalty. Members use a special vocabulary, wear distinctive clothing or colors, employ secret signs, and spray-paint the gang's name and symbol on various structures within its territory.
Most exist primarily to engage in criminal activities. These activities range from minor acts of delinquency, such as vandalism and graffiti writing, to such serious crimes as assault, robbery, arson, auto theft, extortion, narcotics offenses, drive-by shootings, and homicide. Gangs make much of their money from the sale of illegal drugs and weapons.
Many gangs are heavily armed with automatic weapons, possess numerous vehicles (often stolen ones), and use advanced electronic communications equipment in their criminal activities. To combat gangs, many police departments employ special units. These units gather information through special surveillance, investigate gang-related crimes, and pursue suppression efforts, such as periodic gang “sweeps” (a dragnet through a gang neighborhood).
Since early in the nation's history, persons have formed gangs to engage in criminal activity. Especially notable were the outlaw gangs of the Old West and the gangs of youths from the city ghettos of the 1920's and 1930's. Modern street gangs differ from their predecessors mainly in that they are better organized, more violent, and more widespread; have greater durability; and occasionally include female members