NCJ Number
149363
Journal
Research Focus on Youth Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (1993) Pages: 1-6
Date Published
1993
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This report presents the methods used in and an overview of findings from a 2-year study of youth gangs in New York State and their involvement in drug use and dealing.
Abstract
So as to include any aggregation of youth who might qualify as a gang, this study used the concept of Antisocial Youth Group (AYG), which it defined as "three or more youth who, in concert with one another, engage in criminal behavior." The study used incarcerated, court-placed youth as key informants. A total of 374 youth were interviewed. One of the findings was that AYG's are ubiquitous, variously organized, and not transitory, although individual membership is not tightly controlled. Another finding was that groups engaged in a variety of violent activities with lethal weapons. The study also found that drugs were an integral part of gang life; they were both a source of member income and readily available for personal use. Given these findings and the fact that the majority of youth in the sample were knowledgeable about AYG's, the study concludes that youth gang activity plays a greater role in juvenile delinquency than the focus of current intervention programs might suggest. 4 tables and 3 figures