NCJ Number
232009
Journal
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2010 Pages: 167-182
Date Published
September 2010
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined the involvement of girls in youth gangs.
Abstract
Although a lot of research has been conducted on the delinquency of boys who are members of gangs, only a few quantitative studies have analyzed the involvement of girl gang members in delinquency and its link with victimization. In this study, the prevalence rates of girls who are members of gangs in Italy and in Switzerland are shown. The authors compared the Italian data (N = 5.784) and Swiss data (N = 3.459) from the second wave of the International Self-Reported Delinquency Study (ISRD-2); the population used for this comparison was made up of teenagers from the ages of 13 to 16. Members of deviant youth groups accounted for 5.7 percent of the Italian sample and 4.7 percent of the Swiss sample; in both countries, about a third of gang members were girls. In general, girls who are members of gangs commit more delinquent acts than both girls and boys who are not members of gangs. Girl gang members are also more often victimized than girls and boys who are not members of a deviant youth group. Tables and references (Published Abstract)