What You Should Know About Gangs

What Is a Gang?

A gang is an ongoing organized association of three or more persons — some are formal and others, informal, but most share a common name or common signs, colors, or symbols. Typically, members or associates individually or collectively engage in, or have engaged in criminal activity.

How Did Gangs Begin?

Gangs started in this country about the time of the Industrial Revolution, when people left their rural homes for the city. There were inadequate housing and few jobs available as the unemployed turned to crime to survive. After a short time, individuals banded safely in larger numbers. They began to band together, thus forming gangs. Early gangs were made up of the poorest people — initially Irish, Italian, and Polish. However, gangs in the United States have evolved to include people from all ethnicities, cultures, and socio-economic classes, as well as both genders.

Gangs flourished and continued to grow well into the 1990s. Generally, gangs fought in large groups and controlled their territories. They were well-disciplined. Their weapons consisted of bats, fists, and knives. Gang membership resurged in the late 1970s and became more violent than ever. In the 1990s, gang types escalated to include juveniles. The availability of weapons and increased use of guns resulted in more drive-by shootings. In the 1980s and 1990s, gangs included more younger and older members, as well as an increased number of members with prison records. Weapons became more lethal, and drug use and drug trafficking more prevalent. Some gangs have evolved into organized criminal enterprises and extend beyond international borders. The multinational gangs can be sophisticated and have vast resources. However, gangs remain mostly comprised of young people seeking attention and interaction not found within their immediate family.

Characteristics of Gang Members

• Lack of education or educational opportunities
• Lack of job opportunities or skills
• Absence of sufficient, positive adult role models
• Lack of family support
• Low self-esteem or the absence of a feeling of empowerment
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Lack of supervision by pro-social interactions

Why Do Young People Join a Gang?

The reasons for joining a gang may range from wanting to have a good time to pursuing entrepreneurial ventures that may represent a considerable commitment to delinquent or criminal activity. Within the gang, they find identity, secrecy, companionship, and a sense of challenge once they have reached initiation. Still other youths are gang-bound only for survival or protection from other gangs. The gang may also represent a way to success and opportunities for accomplishments the youth would not otherwise have.

In What Types of Activities Are Gangs Involved?

Social

Some gang activity may be socially motivated to include parties, dances, and athletic events. Members share the same feelings and knowledge and are seldom delinquent.

Delinquent

These gang members engage extensively in property offenses and in serious crimes. They are sometimes termed “serious delinquents.” Drug use and sale are hallmarks.

Violent

Violence in gangs and in their activities is extremely pervasive. It is one of the major characteristics of gangs.

Drug Activities

The main motivation for the gang’s existence is drugs. Their greatest financial success has come from increased commitment to involvement in trafficking. The drugs they sell continue to include cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and prescription drugs.

Warning Signs That Someone Has Joined the Gang Lifestyle

• Maintains peers with gang affiliations
• Unexplained injuries consistent with those incurred during a fight
• Begins to carry weapons
• Showing unusual interest in particular colors of clothing or logos, which is not easily explained
• Unusual hand signals in photos or videos
• Unexplained cash or goods in their possession
• Withdrawal from family and/or old friends
• Declining behavior

What Family Can Do to Prevent Gang Involvement

• Educate yourself about local gang involvement
• Understand why someone might join a gang
• Spend quality time with impressionable youth
• Be interested in youth’s academic and extracurricular activities
• Discuss dangerous behaviors openly and without judgment
• Encourage participation in community activities

Warning Signs of Gang Activity in an Area

• Increase in property crimes (thefts, vandalism, etc.)
• Increase in crimes against persons (assaults, carjackings, etc.)
• Increase in unexplained foot traffic or loitering in an area
• Increase in appearance of graffiti or “tags,” in particular the use of combinations of letters, numbers, symbols, logos, etc.
• Local residents being intimidated (being discouraged from or harassed for interacting with law enforcement or other government or community-based organizations)

What Individuals Can Do to Prevent or Counteract Gang Activity

• Take action and be interested in your community
• Develop a relationship with local law enforcement
• Have open dialogue with law enforcement and government officials
• Encourage others to stand with you against illegal activity in your neighborhoods
• Form neighborhood groups to address problems and make local law enforcement part of these meetings

What Law Enforcement Officials Are Doing to Counteract Gang Activity

• Participating in a community awareness campaign
• Contacting parents to alert them that their children are involved with a gang
• Sponsoring gang hotlines
• Organizing athletic events between police and gang members
• Making presentations about gangs in schools
• Gang task forces — used to identify members and their activities
• Neighborhood watch programs
• Suppression

How Can Gang Activity Be Curbed?

Contact

Source: U.S. Department of Justice