NCJ Number
18935
Date Published
1968
Length
360 pages
Annotation
DESCRIPTIVE AND ANALYTIC STUDY OF THE MOTIVATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND STRUCTURAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE FIGHTING GANG, WITH ANALYSES OF THE SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WIDER SOCIETY WHICH FOSTERS AND PERPETUATES SUCH GANGS.
Abstract
THE SPECIFIC DATA COLLECTED AND ANALYZED FOR THIS STUDY CONSISTED OF PREVIOUS STUDIES OF THE URBAN ADOLESCENT GANG, PARTICULARLY OF THE FIGHTING GANG, AND THE NARRATIVE PROCESS RECORDS OF THE INVESTIGATOR'S CONTACTS AS A NEW YORK CITY YOUTH BOARD WORKER WITH THE GREEN AVENUE STOMPERS, A BROOKLYN FIGHTING GANG. THE AUTHOR CRITIQUES THREE PROMINENT THEORIES OF THE DELINQUENT GANG: THE GANG AS A MANIFESTATION OF GENERALIZED YOUTH CULTURE, THE GANG AS A CONSEQUENCE OF LOWER CLASS SOCIALIZTION, AND THE GANG AS A SOLUTION OF STATUS NEEDS. ALTHOUGH HE FINDS ALL THREE THEORIES TO BE LACKING IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT RESPECTS, THE LATTER DEMONSTRATES THE MOST RELEVANCE AND VALIDITY TO THE EMPIRICAL DATA MENTIONED ABOVE. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THE FIGHTING GANG FUNCTIONS TO MEET TWO BASIC NEEDS: THE STATUS NEEDS OF ITS PSYCHOLOGICALLY 'NORMAL' MAJORITY, AND THE BASIC SECURITY NEEDS OF ITS PATHOLOGICALLY AGGRESSIVE MINORITY. GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRODUCTIVE ADULT ROLES, THE MAJORITY OF 'NORMAL' FIGHTING GANG MEMBERS MOVE INTO FAIRLY STABLE LOWER-CLASS ADULT LIFE, WHILE THE PATHOLOGICAL MINORITY REQUIRE MORE PSYCHO-THERAPEUTIC REMEDIAL APPROACHES TO RECOVERY AND OFTEN, ON TERMINATION OF THEIR GANG PARTICIPATION, REQUIRE FUNCTIONALLY EQUIVALENT DEVIANT MODES SUCH AS JOINING A DRUG USING CLIQUE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)