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CSPV
Fact Sheets
- Gang problems in the United States have escalated
rapidly since the 1960s. About half of the cities
with gang problems today report the emergence of
gangs only since 1985.
- Gang problems occur in larger cities; however,
many smaller cities do experience gang conflict
to a lesser degree.
- Most gangs are home grown, rather than initiated
by outsiders, such as gang members who have moved
from other cities.
- Gangs tend to be composed of young people, mainly
male, with similar ethnic and racial backgrounds.
- Most gangs are loosely organized.
- White gangs have become increasingly rare; most
gangs tend to be either African American or Hispanic/Latino.
- Chinese and Vietnamese gangs appear to be oriented
primarily toward economic crimes, such as gambling,
extortion, drug smuggling, and drug distribution.
- Ethnic conflict is often associated with the emergence
of gangs in communities, but most gang conflict
takes place between gangs of the same ethnicity
rather than between gangs of different ethnicities.
- Drug use and drug selling are common activities
among many, but not all, gangs. The relationship
between gangs and drug selling is extremely variable.
- There is a difference between drug gangs and street
gangs. Drug gangs are typically:
- smaller,
- more cohesive,
- require more group loyalty,
- composed of older members organized through
centralized leadership, and
- market-defined in terms of group roles and
group turf.
- Graffiti is often important in establishing gang
identity. Is also often acts as a symbolic form
of gang conflict.
- Violence associated with gangs is more lethal
now than ever before.
- Gang life is very violent compared to life for
those who do not belong to gangs; however, considerable
variability exists in levels of violence within
and between gangs.
- Intra gang violence is more common than inter
gang violence or violence directed outside the gang.
- Status problems are a major issue among gang peers,
and status threats cause violence problems at both
the individual and the group level.
- Gangs appear to become violent as a result of
one or more of the following:
-
escalation of ordinary rough-and-tumble
behavior, which can turn into an issue of
status,
-
competition with
other gangs,
-
labeling by others
as being violent, and/or
-
group cohesion processes
which are reinforced via violent behavior.
- When youth (both males and females) are active
in a gang, they have higher rates of violent and
delinquent behavior compared to when they are not
active in a gang.
- Prevalence rates of delinquent and violent behavior
for female gang members exceed the rates for non
gang males.
- Most youth do not join a gang until their teenage
years.
- The lack of economic opportunities for inner-city
youth has led many gang members to continue gang
membership rather than "growing out" of
their gangs and entering conventional adult roles.
- Gang members as individuals often have conventional
values and concerns.
- Gang homicides occur more often in the street
than non gang homicides, and they often involve
unidentified assailants.
- Gang homicides, more often than other homicides,
are usually attributed to fear and retaliation.
- Gang homicide offenders and victims tend to be
younger than non gang homicide offenders and victims.
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