NCJ Number
176607
Date Published
1995
Length
197 pages
Annotation
Based on the author's own experience as a police officer in dealing with gangs in Houston, Texas, this book explores why youth join gangs, gang behavior, the myths perpetrated by gangs on their members, and what needs to be done about gangs.
Abstract
The author advises that the beginning for anyone who hopes to effectively address the gang problem must be an understanding of the attraction of gangs for youths raised in families and communities where they lack a sense of belonging to a group that provides discipline, affirmation of worth, status, protection, and a sense of belonging to a group that gains them respect within the community and among peers. Gangs draw youth who lack self-esteem. They attract such youth under the promise that by becoming a gang member and complying with all the rules and behavioral expectations of a gang member, they will gain respect and a place of importance in the eyes of their peers. This book exposes the three "big lies" that gangs perpetrate: that they will provide protection for members, that gang membership will garner the respect of the community, and that the gang will become a family. One chapter focuses on particular gangs and their activities, followed by a chapter on girl gangs. Other chapters address gang symbols, such as dress, tattoos, and graffiti, and the roles they play in meeting gang members' needs. A chapter notes the tendency of community leaders to deny the existence and severity of gangs and gang behavior, as well as the dangers of such denial, followed by a concluding chapter that suggests some ways in which positive change in the structure of the family, the community's perception of right and wrong, and the structure of the law can address the gang problem.