Gang Violence
What is a Gang?
This is a highly debated question in the literature
“Gang” is a very frequently used term that has however no real consensus definition
It is often used in uncertain and self-contradictory ways by policymakers – including
the Home Office (Shute & Medina 2014)
F. Thrasher (1927, 57): “An interstitial group formed spontaneously and then
integrated through conflict”
This definition has been popular for a long time, due also to Thrasher’s importance
as one of the first gang researchers
The definition is concise, striking, and even “elegant and aesthetically pleasing”
(Curry 2015, 8)
However, it makes the mistake of assuming what ought to be researched:
- How much of a “group” are gangs?
- Is the “interstitial” quality so important?
Klein (1971, 13):
- “[a juvenile gang is] any denotable group of youngsters who
a) are generally perceived as a distinct aggregation by others in their
neighbourhood,
b) recognize themselves as a denotable group (almost invariably with a group
name), and
c) have been involved in a sufficient number of delinquent incidents to call forth a
consistent negative response from neighbourhood residents and/or enforcement
agencies.”
On the one hand: the definition stresses the importance of (social) perception and
casts a wide net
On the other hand: the net is probably cast too wide
- So many juvenile groups can fit into this definition
- Including some US college fraternities…
The Eurogang definition (Klein & Maxson 2010, 4): “A street gang is any durable,
street-oriented youth group whose involvement in illegal activity is part of its group
identity”
Hagedorn (2008, 31): “[Gangs] are simply alienated groups socialized by the streets
or prisons, not conventional institutions”
How Common were Gangs Historically?
Gangs became a major subject of research in the late 19 th century – early 20th
century – mainly in the U.S.
Gangs have been around for at least 130 years
Actually, they have been around for much longer!
Gang-like groups were already present in Ancient Rome, where they were used by
politicians against rivals
- Such a political use of gangs can be found in 19th and 20th century U.S. and late
20th century India
How Common are Gangs Worldwide?
, Gangs are present in every continent
They are one of the most common instances of criminal group in the world
Research has tended to focus on a few geographical contexts:
- United States
- Central America
- Brazil
- South Africa
But gangs’ presence goes much beyond that
Who is the Average Gang Member?
Mostly male
- Although it may depend on other factors, such as age (Esbensen & Carson 2012,
472)
Male participation in gangs is linked to a subculture that values aggression and
(hyper)masculinity
Female gang membership is however a well-attested phenomenon
- Several examples of female gang members have been reported in Central
America, for example in Guatemala (Winton 2007)
- In Cape Town, women take part in gangs and perform street culture as a means
of achieving income, power, and respect (Dziewanski 2020)
Mostly young
The term “gang” is often used to indicate juvenile groups, so this is not a surprise…
But the prevalence of young people holds even when we use the term “gang” at
large
The early teenage years (13-15) seem to be the most likely period for joining a gang
(Densley 2015, 236)
Jütersonke, Muggah, & Rodgers (2009, 5):
- In El Salvador as of 2001, gang members’ average age was 20 and the mean entry
age was 15
- Nicaraguan gang members “appear[ed] to fall between the age of 7 and 23”
- The age range for Guatemalan and Honduran gang members was between 12
and 30
In Rio de Janeiro, minors have actively been recruited since the 1990s
Racial/ethnic aspect:
- Some gangs draw their membership and identity from ethnic or racial faultlines
- In the United States, past gangs drew mainly from Irish, Italian, and Jewish
immigrant communities
- To this day, in the USA Black and Hispanic youth are “somewhat
overrepresented” (Esbensen & Carson 2012, 478)
- Australia (Hagedorn 2008, 36)
In some countries however, the economic aspect may be more important:
- Brazil’s gangs reflect the racial composition of the people living in the slums
(favelas)
- The situation is similar in Central America
The demographic characters of gang membership is reflected in who gets murdered
in countries with sizable gang presence
What is a Gang?
This is a highly debated question in the literature
“Gang” is a very frequently used term that has however no real consensus definition
It is often used in uncertain and self-contradictory ways by policymakers – including
the Home Office (Shute & Medina 2014)
F. Thrasher (1927, 57): “An interstitial group formed spontaneously and then
integrated through conflict”
This definition has been popular for a long time, due also to Thrasher’s importance
as one of the first gang researchers
The definition is concise, striking, and even “elegant and aesthetically pleasing”
(Curry 2015, 8)
However, it makes the mistake of assuming what ought to be researched:
- How much of a “group” are gangs?
- Is the “interstitial” quality so important?
Klein (1971, 13):
- “[a juvenile gang is] any denotable group of youngsters who
a) are generally perceived as a distinct aggregation by others in their
neighbourhood,
b) recognize themselves as a denotable group (almost invariably with a group
name), and
c) have been involved in a sufficient number of delinquent incidents to call forth a
consistent negative response from neighbourhood residents and/or enforcement
agencies.”
On the one hand: the definition stresses the importance of (social) perception and
casts a wide net
On the other hand: the net is probably cast too wide
- So many juvenile groups can fit into this definition
- Including some US college fraternities…
The Eurogang definition (Klein & Maxson 2010, 4): “A street gang is any durable,
street-oriented youth group whose involvement in illegal activity is part of its group
identity”
Hagedorn (2008, 31): “[Gangs] are simply alienated groups socialized by the streets
or prisons, not conventional institutions”
How Common were Gangs Historically?
Gangs became a major subject of research in the late 19 th century – early 20th
century – mainly in the U.S.
Gangs have been around for at least 130 years
Actually, they have been around for much longer!
Gang-like groups were already present in Ancient Rome, where they were used by
politicians against rivals
- Such a political use of gangs can be found in 19th and 20th century U.S. and late
20th century India
How Common are Gangs Worldwide?
, Gangs are present in every continent
They are one of the most common instances of criminal group in the world
Research has tended to focus on a few geographical contexts:
- United States
- Central America
- Brazil
- South Africa
But gangs’ presence goes much beyond that
Who is the Average Gang Member?
Mostly male
- Although it may depend on other factors, such as age (Esbensen & Carson 2012,
472)
Male participation in gangs is linked to a subculture that values aggression and
(hyper)masculinity
Female gang membership is however a well-attested phenomenon
- Several examples of female gang members have been reported in Central
America, for example in Guatemala (Winton 2007)
- In Cape Town, women take part in gangs and perform street culture as a means
of achieving income, power, and respect (Dziewanski 2020)
Mostly young
The term “gang” is often used to indicate juvenile groups, so this is not a surprise…
But the prevalence of young people holds even when we use the term “gang” at
large
The early teenage years (13-15) seem to be the most likely period for joining a gang
(Densley 2015, 236)
Jütersonke, Muggah, & Rodgers (2009, 5):
- In El Salvador as of 2001, gang members’ average age was 20 and the mean entry
age was 15
- Nicaraguan gang members “appear[ed] to fall between the age of 7 and 23”
- The age range for Guatemalan and Honduran gang members was between 12
and 30
In Rio de Janeiro, minors have actively been recruited since the 1990s
Racial/ethnic aspect:
- Some gangs draw their membership and identity from ethnic or racial faultlines
- In the United States, past gangs drew mainly from Irish, Italian, and Jewish
immigrant communities
- To this day, in the USA Black and Hispanic youth are “somewhat
overrepresented” (Esbensen & Carson 2012, 478)
- Australia (Hagedorn 2008, 36)
In some countries however, the economic aspect may be more important:
- Brazil’s gangs reflect the racial composition of the people living in the slums
(favelas)
- The situation is similar in Central America
The demographic characters of gang membership is reflected in who gets murdered
in countries with sizable gang presence
