1. Chapter 8: Peers and Delinquency: Juvenile Gangs and Groups

2. Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, students should:
1. Be familiar with the influence of peers on delinquency
2. Know the various definitions used to describe gangs
3. Describe the makeup of gangs.
4. Compare the various theories of gang formation
5. Describe the various forms of gang-control efforts that are in use today

3. Adolescent Peer Relations
Parents are the primary source of influence in early years
Between ages 8 and 14, children typically begin to seek out a stable peer group
Friends have a greater influence than parents over decision making
Children form cliques
Small groups of friends who share intimate knowledge and confidences
Also belong to crowds
Loosely organized groups who share interests and activities
Adolescent self-image is formed by perceptions of one’s place in the social world
LO1.

4. Adolescent Peer Relations
Acceptance by peers:
Has a major impact on socialization
Close affiliation with a high-status peer crowd protects against depression and other negative psychological symptoms
Poor peer relations:
Related to high social anxiety
Types of Friends:
Controversial status youth
Aggressive kids who are either highly liked or intensely disliked by their peers
This sort of youth is most likely to engage in antisocial behavior
LO1.

5. Peer Relations and Delinquency
Research shows that peer group relationships are closely tied to delinquent behavior
Co-offending
Delinquent acts tend to be committed in small groups rather than alone
Adolescents who maintain delinquent friends are more likely to engage in antisocial behavior and drug use
LO1.

6. Question 1. A clique is defined as:
a. loosely organized groups of children who share interests and activities
b. small groups of friends who engage in crime and use drugs and alcohol
c. small groups of friends who share activities and confidences
d. large hoards of youths who share common locations like schools and neighborhoods

7. The Direction of Peer Influence
Do antisocial peers cause delinquency or do antisocial youths seek delinquent friends?
According to control theory:
Antisocial adolescents seek out like-minded peers for criminal association and to conduct criminal transactions
According to labeling theory:
Deviant kids are forced to choose deviant peers
According to social learning theory:
Delinquent friends cause law-abiding youth to get in trouble
According to routine activities:
Kids with like-minded peers without parental control are more likely to be involved in delinquency
LO1.

8. Question 2. Co-offending is defined as:
a. the tendency for youths to commit 2 or more delinquent acts rather than a single act
b. the tendency for youths to use drugs or alcohol when they commit delinquent acts
c. the tendency to commit delinquent acts in small groups rather than alone
d. the tendency for youths to commit delinquent acts when with older youths

9. Definition of A Gang?
An association of peers, bound together by mutual interests, with identifiable leadership, well-developed lines of authority, and other organizational features, who act in concert to achieve a specific purpose or purposes, which generally include the control over a particular territory, facility, or type of enterprise.
Could this not define a police department or any other organization for that matter?

10. Walter Miller’s Definition of A Gang
A youth gang is a self-forming association of peers, bound together by mutual interests, with identifiable leadership, well-developed lines of authority, and other organizational features, who act in concert to achieve a specific purpose or purposes, which generally include the conduct of illegal activity and control over a particular territory, facility, or type of enterprise.

11. Youth Gangs
A gang is a group of youths who collectively engage in delinquent behaviors
Gang Expert Malcolm Klein argues that two factors stand out in all definitions
Members have self recognition of their gang status and special vocabulary, clothing, signs, colors, graffiti, and names
There is a commitment to criminal activity
LO2.

12. The National Gang Center Uses these defining factors:
Youth Gangs
The National Gang Center Uses these defining factors:
The group has three or more members, generally aging from 12 to 24
Members share an identity, typically linked to a name and often other symbols
Members view themselves as a gang, and are recognized by others as a gang
The group has some permanence and a degree of organization
The group is involved in an elevated level of criminal activity
LO2.

13. Gang Colors by Nation

15. Contemporary Gangs According to National Youth Gang Survey (NYGS):
A significant majority of urban areas report the presence of gangs, and gangs exist in all level of the social strata
An estimated 27,000 gangs containing about 800,000 gang members were active in the United States
Traditionally operate in disorganized neighborhoods experiencing rapid population change – “transitional neighborhoods”
While gangs are disproportionately located in urban areas, thousands of gangs are located in small cities, suburban counties, and even rural areas
Migration:
NYGS found many jurisdictions have experienced gang migration, and in a few areas more than half of all gang members had come from other areas
LO3.

16. Youth Gang Migration – Current Example
According to NYGS (2010), 65% of rural areas and 74% of urban areas reported increased gang migration. There are two reasons for migration:
Illegitimate reasons, such as drug distribution and other illegal activities, recruiting members, and avoiding law enforcement, and
Legitimate or “social” reasons, such as family moves and relocating for job opportunities. According to the report, social reasons outweighed illegitimate reasons as the lead factors for gang-member migration
What impact, if any, do you think gang migration has on local law enforcement and local community?
What can rural communities and law enforcement do when they experience an influx of gang activity?
Should they draw upon the experience of urban areas who are experienced in dealing with gang problems, or is there a particular way rural areas should deal the issue?
LO3.

17. Today’s Gangs Age Gender Leadership Communication
Ranges widely (ages 8 to 55), and average age is increasing
Gender
Traditionally male, 1/3 are females, gender-mixed gangs are more common
Females in all or majority-female gangs with lowest delinquency rate
Leadership
Delinquent gangs tend to be small and transitory
Youths often belong to more than a single group or clique and develop an extensive network of delinquent associates
Communication
Gangs seek recognition, both from their rivals and from the community
Graffiti
Representing

18. Question
3. An estimated 27,000 gangs containing about ______________ gang members were active in the United States,
320,000
600,000
800,000
1,200,000

19. Question
4. Which of the following best describes the most common reason for gang member migration in the United States?
a. political, to spread the influence of gangs
b. social, the gang member’s family moves
c. economic, to spread the drug distribution network
d. social, to spread the social networks of the gang

20. Types of Gangs Four Categories: Social Gang Party Gang
Some minor drug and alcohol use; focus on social activities
Party Gang
Focus on drug use and sales, but not other delinquent activities
Serious Delinquent Gang
Focus on serious delinquent activity, but not drug dealing or use
Organized Gang
Heavy involvement in serious delinquent behavior and violence
Just as there are different types of gangs, there are also different types of roles played by gang members
LO3.

21. Girls and Gangs Why Do Girls Join Gangs? Financial opportunity
Identity and social status
Peer pressure
Escape turbulent family lives
Protection
National Data suggests…
About 10% of gang members are female.
LO3.

22. Question
5. A(n) _________________ gang is heavily involved in criminality, particularly in drug sales and they use violence to establish control over drug sale territories.
a. social c. organized
b. party d. none of the above

23. Question
6. National data indicate that about _______ percent of gang members are female.
a. 20 c. 10
b. 15 d. 30

24. Ethnic and Racial Composition
African American and Latino youths predominate gang membership
1/2 are Hispanic/Latino
1/3 African American
1/5 European American
Association between gang member size, gang problem onset, and race/ethnicity characteristics
Larger cities with newer gang problems are twice as likely to report greater variation in racial/ethnic composition
Ethnic distribution corresponds to geographic location
LO3.

25. African American Gangs
First organized in the early 1920s
Maintain a national presence in the U.S.:
Black P. Stone Nation: 6,000-8,000 members
Bloods:7,000-30,000 members
Crips: 30,000-35,000
Unique characteristics
Nicknames
Nondescript attire
Distinctive hairstyles
Tattooing
Distinctive graffiti
LO3.

26. Latino Gangs Gangs are popular in the Latino culture
Admission involves rituals that prove their machismo
Leadership hierarchy is fixed in some areas, fluid in others (Southern CA)
Known for dress code:
Tank-style t-shirts
Territory marked with colorful and intricate graffiti, stylized lettering and 3-D designs
Strong sense of turf
Most feared Latino Gang
Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)
This is the nation’s most dangerous gang
LO3.

27. Question 7. About half of all gangs in the U.S. are European American.
True
False

28. Asian Gangs
Prominent in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Houston
Tiny Rascal Gangsters is the largest and most violent Asian gang in the U.S.
Regional gangs also operate on the west coast
Unique because they do not share qualities with other ethnically-based groups
Victimize members of their own ethnic group
More organized than other gangs, have recognizable leaders, more secretive, less territorial, and less openly visible
Milwaukee - 26
LO3.

29. Tiny Rascals Gang – Current Example
Tiny Rascals Gang is the largest Asian gang in the United States. It consists of both male and female members (females are known as the “Lady Rascals Gang”) with an age range of Its members are primarily Cambodian and Laotian. Its known criminal activities include murder, drive by shootings, robberies, narcotic violations and weapons offenses on a nationwide scale.
Why do you think some young Asian-Americans join gangs?
Are the reasons different from the reasons some young African-Americans, European-Americans, and Hispanics join gangs?
LO3.

30. First American youth gangs were European American
Anglo Gangs
First American youth gangs were European American
Gangs Of New York
During the 1950’s they competed with African American and Latino gangs
Today they account for less than 10% of all gang members
Members are often alienated middle class youth
Today they are often referred to as skinheads, and may be identified by a shaved head and Nazi or KKK markings
LO3.

31. Gangs and Delinquency
Members of youth gangs commit more crime than any other group of youths
Three explanations for association of gang membership and delinquency:
Selection Hypothesis-kids with history of crime and violence join
Facilitation Hypothesis-they join to facilitate their deviant behavior
Enhancement Hypothesis-selection and facilitation work interactively
Gang criminality has numerous patterns
Some gangs specialize in drug dealing, others partake in a wide variety of criminal activity
LO4.

32. Gang Violence Gang members are: Violence is used to:
More violent than non-members
More likely to carry weapons
More likely to commit homicide
Violence is used to:
Transform a peer group into a gang
Maintain the gang’s internal discipline
Prestige crimes
When a gang member steals or assaults to gain prestige in the gang
LO4.

33. The 5 US Cities with Worst Gang Violence – Current Example
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), Long Beach, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Newark, NJ, Oakland, CA and Oklahoma City, OK, are the U.S. capitals of gang homicide. In L.A. and Long Beach, less than 5% of all homicides were associated with drug trade or use. In Oakland 12.5% of homicides were drug-related, and in Oklahoma City, 25.4% of homicides were related to drugs. In Los Angeles and Long Beach, gang homicides account for the majority of homicides among 15 to 24-year-olds: 61 and 69%, respectively.
Why do you think gangs are involved in so much violence?
What impact does gang violence have in our communities?
What can be done to reduce gang violence?
What can be done to discourage youths from joining gangs?
Do you think if less teens joined gangs, overall gang member ship would decline? Why or why not?
LO4.

34. Why Do Youths Join Gangs?
Anthropological View
Appeal to tribal instincts
Social Disorganization/Sociocultural View
Youth gangs form due to destructive sociocultural forces in disorganized areas
Anomie/Alienation View
Alienation leads to gang involvement
Social conditions encourage gang activity
LO4.

35. Why Do Youths Join Gangs?
Psychological View
Youth with antisocial personality defect are the most likely group to join gangs
Rational Choice View
Youths join to obtain desired goods and services
i.e. illegal drugs
Personal safety
Fun and support
LO4.

36. Question
8. According to the ________________ view, gangs appeal to adolescents’ longing for the tribal process that sustained their ancestors.
liberation
social injury
rational choice
anthropological

37. Controlling Gang Activity
Law Enforcement Efforts
Youth service programs
Gang details
Gang units
Community Control Efforts
Detached street worker
Gang outreach
Homeboy Industries, Inc.
Recreation
LO5.

38. Why Gang Control Is Difficult
Aggressive tactics can be overzealous and alienate the community
Social and economic solutions seem equally challenging
It is a socio-ecological phenomenon, requiring social solutions that do not have an easy fix
LO5.

39. Summary Peers influence delinquency
Different views on association between peers and delinquency exist
Historical development of gangs
Recognize the extent and location of gang problem
Know the roles of females in gangs
Racial and ethnic makeup of gangs differs
Understand gang criminality
Know the theories of gang formation
Be familiar with gang control strategies
LO1-LO5.