Youth gangs and drug wars
Gang research
History of gang research
Frederic Thrasher (1927)
• ‘Father of gang research’
• Research on gangs in Chicago neighborhoods
• First academic studies of the phenomenon
• Thesis: neighborhoods in flux are more likely to produce gangs
Albert Cohen (1955)
• Similar ideas arise among who experience similar social circumstances
• Delinquent youths generally cannot achieve social status along conventional lines (e.g.,
academic success)
• In response they form groups (gangs) and seek to achieve social status by inverting
conventional expectations (e.g. academic failure)
1
, Malcolm Klein (1971)
• Project director of two gang research projects in Los Angeles (’63 – ’67)
o 1st project: delinquency prevention through conventional approach
Result: increase in delinquency
Explanation: increased cohesiveness
o 2nd project to test this hypothesis
Result: decrease in delinquency due to
deliberate decrease in gang cohesiveness
Malcolm Klein (1992)
• Street gangs are quite distinct from drug gangs - though they may share individual members
• Structured vs. unstructured
• Disciplined vs. undisciplined
• Organized and goal-oriented vs. affiliation and common rivalries
• Street gangs are being demonized and criminalized while they are the worst possible bodies
for running disciplined criminal operations
• There is however criminal activity, violence, gang related homicide ...
• Earlier conclusion still stands: conventional interventions can lead to increased cohesion and,
consequently, increased delinquency
Eurogang (1997)
• Started by Malcolm Klein
• Purpose: gather scholars who focus on the topic of gangs
• Conduct state of the art gang research in Europe and US
• Organizing workshops, panels ...
Gangs worldwide
• USA (+/- 33.000 gangs (?))
o Bloods, Crips
• Hispanic
o Calle 18, MS-13
• White supremacists
o Ku Klux Klan
• Japan
o Yakuza
• Motorcycle clubs
o Hell’s Angels, Outlaws, Bandidos
• Prison gangs
2
Gang research
History of gang research
Frederic Thrasher (1927)
• ‘Father of gang research’
• Research on gangs in Chicago neighborhoods
• First academic studies of the phenomenon
• Thesis: neighborhoods in flux are more likely to produce gangs
Albert Cohen (1955)
• Similar ideas arise among who experience similar social circumstances
• Delinquent youths generally cannot achieve social status along conventional lines (e.g.,
academic success)
• In response they form groups (gangs) and seek to achieve social status by inverting
conventional expectations (e.g. academic failure)
1
, Malcolm Klein (1971)
• Project director of two gang research projects in Los Angeles (’63 – ’67)
o 1st project: delinquency prevention through conventional approach
Result: increase in delinquency
Explanation: increased cohesiveness
o 2nd project to test this hypothesis
Result: decrease in delinquency due to
deliberate decrease in gang cohesiveness
Malcolm Klein (1992)
• Street gangs are quite distinct from drug gangs - though they may share individual members
• Structured vs. unstructured
• Disciplined vs. undisciplined
• Organized and goal-oriented vs. affiliation and common rivalries
• Street gangs are being demonized and criminalized while they are the worst possible bodies
for running disciplined criminal operations
• There is however criminal activity, violence, gang related homicide ...
• Earlier conclusion still stands: conventional interventions can lead to increased cohesion and,
consequently, increased delinquency
Eurogang (1997)
• Started by Malcolm Klein
• Purpose: gather scholars who focus on the topic of gangs
• Conduct state of the art gang research in Europe and US
• Organizing workshops, panels ...
Gangs worldwide
• USA (+/- 33.000 gangs (?))
o Bloods, Crips
• Hispanic
o Calle 18, MS-13
• White supremacists
o Ku Klux Klan
• Japan
o Yakuza
• Motorcycle clubs
o Hell’s Angels, Outlaws, Bandidos
• Prison gangs
2
