NCJ Number
122321
Journal
Youth and Society Volume: 21 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1990) Pages: 282-305
Date Published
1990
Length
24 pages
Annotation
Data collected from interviews and surveys were used to assess the difference between adult and youth perceptions on delinquent youth gangs in Racine, Wisconsin, where lawbreaking activities by such gangs are increasing and local criminal justice and community agencies have responded with several initiatives.
Abstract
Yablonsky's near-group analysis of delinquent youth gangs, characterized by diffuse role definition, limited cohesion, impermanence, and shifting membership, best describes for the divergent perceptions observed in Racine. While adults perceive gangs to be formalized and highly organized and structured, young people believe they are informal, loosely organized, and amorphous. While both adults and young people see a definite gang problem in their city, the adults perceived it more often and as a problem of greater magnitude. When asked how big a threat gangs posed to the community, respondents vary their replies, with some focusing on the potential danger posed by delinquent gangs and others believing the threat was minimal. Adults were less likely than young people to perceive gangs in their own neighborhoods, perhaps because their perceptions are more likely to be shaped by traditional media images. However, both adults and young people saw a problem in other neighborhoods, particularly the older sections within the inner city. When asked about direct contact with gang members, more young people reported interactions than adults; adults also estimated lower numbers of gang members in Racine than did young people. Youth perceptions of the typical gang member were relatively undefined, while adults were more influenced by stereotypical images. Relatively few young people admitted being a gang member and most said they would not join one in the future. 10 tables, 2 notes, 31 references.