Gangs have long been a social and criminal threat to society. Introduction to Gangs in America explains how gangs are addressed as a criminal justice and public policy problem, providing a student-friendly, easily accessible, concise overview of the role, place, structure, and activities of gangs in American society. The book describes what gangs a
Consists of 27 chapters of research, programs and policies dealing with gangs. Information contributed by scholars, criminal justice practitioners, and actual gang leaders, cover gangs and drugs, gangs in adult and juvenile correctional institutions, female gang members and rights of children, gang prevention and intervention, racism-oppression theory, the community's role in dealing with gangs and more. Also includes actual written constitutions of two well-known gangs. The most knowledgeable and up-to-date report on gangs in America.
This book is an historical account of the emergence of youth gangs and the transformation of these into street gangs in the United States. The author traces the emergence of these gangs in the four major geographical regions over the span of two centuries, from the early 1800s to 2012. The author’s authoritative analysis explains gang emergence and expansion from play groups to heavily armed street gangs responsible for a large proportion of urban crimes, including drive-by shootings that often kill innocent bystanders. Nationwide, street gangs now account for 1 in 6 homicides each year, and for 1 in 4 in very large cities. In recent years, the number of gangs, gang members, and gang homicides increased, even though the U.S. has seen a sharp drop in violent and property crimes over the past decade. The author’s historical analysis reveals the key contributing factors to transformation of youth gangs, including social disorganization that occurred following large-scale immigration early in American history and urban policies that pushed minorities to inner city areas and public housing projects. This analysis includes the influence of prison gangs on street gangs. The first generation of prison gangs emerged spontaneously in response to dangers inside prisons. The second generation was for many years extensions of street gangs that grew enormously during the 1980s and 1990s, particularly in large urban areas in which public housing projects have served as incubators for street gangs. The third generation of prison gangs is extremely active in street-level criminal enterprises in varied forms, often highly structured and well managed organizations that are actively involved in drug trafficking. In recent years, returning inmates are a predominant influence on local gang violence. Now, prison gangs and street gangs often work together in street-level criminal enterprises. This book identifies the most promising ways that gang violence can be reduced. The best long-term approach is a combination of gang prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies and programs. Targeted suppression of gang violence is imperative. Street-workers that serve as violence interrupters can break the cycle of contagious gang violence.
In Gangs and Organized Crime, George W. Knox, Gregg W. Etter, and Carter F. Smith offer an informed and carefully investigated examination of gangs and organized crime groups, covering street gangs, prison gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and organized crime groups from every continent. The authors have spent decades investigating gangs as well as researching their history and activities, and this dual professional-academic perspective informs their analysis of gangs and crime groups. They take a multidisciplinary approach that combines criminal justice, public policy and administration, law, organizational behavior, sociology, psychology, and urban planning perspectives to provide insight into the actions and interactions of a variety of groups and their members. This textbook is ideal for criminal justice and sociology courses on gangs as well as related course topics like gang behavior, gang crime and the inner city, organized crime families, and transnational criminal groups. Gangs and Organized Crime is also an excellent addition to the professional’s reference library or primer for the general reader. More information is available at the supporting website – www.gangsandorganizedcrime.com
This book takes students on a guided tour of the gang phenomenon through history, as well as current representations of gangs in literature and media. It includes: - A detailed global overview of gang culture, covering, amongst others, Glasgow, Chicago, Hong Kong, and Shanghai - A chapter on researching gangs which covers quantitative and qualitative methods - Extra chapter features such as key terms, chapter overviews, study questions and further reading suggestions. Alistair Fraser brings together gang-literature and critical perspectives in a refreshingly new way, exploring ‘gangs’ as a social group with a long and fascinating history.
Pulling together the most salient, current issues in the field today, The Handbook of Gangs provides a significant assessment by leading scholars of key topics related to gangs, gang members, and responses to gangs. • Chapters cover a wide array of the most prominent issues in the field of gangs, written by scholars who have been leaders in developing new ways of thinking about the topics • Delivers cutting-edge reviews of the current state of research and practice and addresses where the field has been, where it is today and where it should go in the future • Includes extensive coverage of the individual theories of delinquency and provides special emphasis on policy and prevention program implications in the study of gangs • Offers a broad understanding of how other countries deal with gangs and their response to gangs, including Great Britain, Latin America, Australia and Europe • Chapters covering the legacies of four pioneers in gang research—Malcolm W. Klein, Walter B. Miller, James F. Short Jr., and Irving A. Spergel
Introduction to Gangs is a practical guide and handbook for anyone dealing with gang violence, including police, courts, prisons, community police psychologists, and more. It includes case studies, illustrations of gang graffiti, gang terminology, gang identification, maps or illustrations, summary statistics, graphs, and more. In addition, it gives voices to those impacted by the world of gang crime and gang violence, including gang members, former and active, and their families.
Understanding Gangs and Gang Violence in America examines past, current, and future concerns regarding street and prison gang life in the United States. Author Gabe Morales combines his personal history, his experience serving in the adult and juvenile criminal justice system, thought-provoking case studies, and the perspectives of other experts within the field to paint a comprehensive and holistic portrait of American gangs and gang violence. The text examines what a gang is, how gang members are defined by various segments of society, common forms of gang communications, and the rules of the streets. It covers the history of major gangs in America, gang recruitment and behaviors, hate groups, and prevention and intervention programs. Dedicated chapters discuss teen brain function and risk factors for gang involvement, national and local responses to gang activity, and the efficacy and inefficacy of state laws. The book concludes with a discussion of gangs on an international scale, the future of gang-related issues, and how readers can apply their knowledge at the community level. Understanding Gangs and Gang Violence in America is valuable for courses in criminal justice and corrections. It can also be used by criminal justice and law enforcement practitioners who work with at-risk or gang-related populations.
