Juvenile Delinquency Exam #3
questions and answers graded A+
How do law enforcement statistics effect gang membership numbers> - correct answer
✔✔These stats severely undercut the actual number of juvenile gang members because it is
only measuring those crimes that are reported
Characteristics of Gangs: - correct answer ✔✔- Self-formed group of peers
- Share mutual interests
- Different organizational features
- Acting together to achieve a purpose
- Involvement in illegal activity
- Control over territory or enterprise
Group Activity of Gangs - correct answer ✔✔Juveniles are known for committing delinquent
acts in the company of their peers, rather than doing so separately
Is gang membership increasing? - correct answer ✔✔Yes, especially in the past three years
Why would a juvenile join a gang in the first place? - correct answer ✔✔- Buffer against poverty
- Friends in the gang (thrill-seeking)
- Response to social change (dropping out of high school, moving schools mid-year, disruption in
life, death of a loved one)
- Pursuit of some form of success (power, prestige, status)
- Could be a rational choice because of the idea that it will bring them a sense of family
- Juveniles often do not have any other choice as they are unaware of alternatives
,- Join for security/safety if they have no other option
Gang Turnover Rates - correct answer ✔✔- Fairly high, meaning you are not always in it for life
- Most typically leave the gang within a year or less
Aging Out Process of Gangs - correct answer ✔✔The older you get the more opportunities you
have (either positive or negative) that may deter you from staying in the game
Typical Age of Gang Members - correct answer ✔✔Early to mid twenties; similar to the age-
crime curve in following similar patterns; with ages normally ranging from 12-24
- gang culture is a young person's game, though there can be some exceptions
The longer youth is a part of a gang... - correct answer ✔✔the harder it is to rehabilitate them
Aspects of Defining a Gang Member - correct answer ✔✔- Involvement in crime
- Bonding; can work in a negative way that increases your chances of staying in the gang
Homogeneous Membership - correct answer ✔✔members often have the same ethnicity, race,
and similar background
Problems with Studying Gangs - correct answer ✔✔- Must have members who are willing to
talk; though a snowball sample can occur once you find someone willing to do so
- Generalizability, meaning can these findings be applied to other studies/samples
- Researcher's effect on the setting verses whether or not they are present
Delinquent Gangs - correct answer ✔✔tend to be small and transitory, meaning you can be a
part of more than one gang at a time
, Variations in Gangs - correct answer ✔✔- Size, depending on if you're in a rural/area
- Vary in racial and ethnic makeup
- Types of criminal activity (ranging from misdemeanor to more violent behavior)
- Organization
- Geographical location
- Typical age range is 12-24 and average age is 17
Liberation Hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔girls are being liberated from some of the
normative/traditional female roles that they once held (ex. housewife)
Masculinity Hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔girls are becoming more "male-like" in their
activities; in turn becoming more aggressive and violent
Girls' Reasonings for Joining Gangs - correct answer ✔✔- A buffer against poverty
- Provides them with meaning
- Liberation vs. masculinity
Differences Between Girls Joining vs. Boys - correct answer ✔✔- Girls are typically involved with
someone already involved in the gang (romantically)
- There is often a history of abuse or victimization in the girl's life
Are girls committing more crimes today than in the past? - correct answer ✔✔There are two
notions of thought:
- Yes, more crimes are being committed because girls have become more violent or aggressive;
goes along with the masculinity hypothesis
- No, they are simply being treated more punitively than they were before
questions and answers graded A+
How do law enforcement statistics effect gang membership numbers> - correct answer
✔✔These stats severely undercut the actual number of juvenile gang members because it is
only measuring those crimes that are reported
Characteristics of Gangs: - correct answer ✔✔- Self-formed group of peers
- Share mutual interests
- Different organizational features
- Acting together to achieve a purpose
- Involvement in illegal activity
- Control over territory or enterprise
Group Activity of Gangs - correct answer ✔✔Juveniles are known for committing delinquent
acts in the company of their peers, rather than doing so separately
Is gang membership increasing? - correct answer ✔✔Yes, especially in the past three years
Why would a juvenile join a gang in the first place? - correct answer ✔✔- Buffer against poverty
- Friends in the gang (thrill-seeking)
- Response to social change (dropping out of high school, moving schools mid-year, disruption in
life, death of a loved one)
- Pursuit of some form of success (power, prestige, status)
- Could be a rational choice because of the idea that it will bring them a sense of family
- Juveniles often do not have any other choice as they are unaware of alternatives
,- Join for security/safety if they have no other option
Gang Turnover Rates - correct answer ✔✔- Fairly high, meaning you are not always in it for life
- Most typically leave the gang within a year or less
Aging Out Process of Gangs - correct answer ✔✔The older you get the more opportunities you
have (either positive or negative) that may deter you from staying in the game
Typical Age of Gang Members - correct answer ✔✔Early to mid twenties; similar to the age-
crime curve in following similar patterns; with ages normally ranging from 12-24
- gang culture is a young person's game, though there can be some exceptions
The longer youth is a part of a gang... - correct answer ✔✔the harder it is to rehabilitate them
Aspects of Defining a Gang Member - correct answer ✔✔- Involvement in crime
- Bonding; can work in a negative way that increases your chances of staying in the gang
Homogeneous Membership - correct answer ✔✔members often have the same ethnicity, race,
and similar background
Problems with Studying Gangs - correct answer ✔✔- Must have members who are willing to
talk; though a snowball sample can occur once you find someone willing to do so
- Generalizability, meaning can these findings be applied to other studies/samples
- Researcher's effect on the setting verses whether or not they are present
Delinquent Gangs - correct answer ✔✔tend to be small and transitory, meaning you can be a
part of more than one gang at a time
, Variations in Gangs - correct answer ✔✔- Size, depending on if you're in a rural/area
- Vary in racial and ethnic makeup
- Types of criminal activity (ranging from misdemeanor to more violent behavior)
- Organization
- Geographical location
- Typical age range is 12-24 and average age is 17
Liberation Hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔girls are being liberated from some of the
normative/traditional female roles that they once held (ex. housewife)
Masculinity Hypothesis - correct answer ✔✔girls are becoming more "male-like" in their
activities; in turn becoming more aggressive and violent
Girls' Reasonings for Joining Gangs - correct answer ✔✔- A buffer against poverty
- Provides them with meaning
- Liberation vs. masculinity
Differences Between Girls Joining vs. Boys - correct answer ✔✔- Girls are typically involved with
someone already involved in the gang (romantically)
- There is often a history of abuse or victimization in the girl's life
Are girls committing more crimes today than in the past? - correct answer ✔✔There are two
notions of thought:
- Yes, more crimes are being committed because girls have become more violent or aggressive;
goes along with the masculinity hypothesis
- No, they are simply being treated more punitively than they were before
