NCJ Number
129799
Journal
Crime to Court Dated: (April 1991) Pages: 15-18
Date Published
1991
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The Youth Gang Report prepared by the Attorney General's Task Force of Los Angeles notes that members of youth gangs are usually males between ages 14 and 24 who join a gang to achieve identity or recognition, to secure protection or a desire for fellowship, or because of intimidation by the peer group.
Abstract
Youth gangs are not formally organized. The leader is the strongest or boldest member. The gang has a name, claims a particular territory or neighborhood, and directs its criminal activity toward rival gangs and the general population. Gang members usually join by committing a crime or undergoing an initiation procedure in which they are beaten severely by other gang members to test their courage and fighting ability. Youth gangs are usually organized along ethnic or economic lines. Violence between gangs is normally directed at groups of similar ethnic or economic characteristics. Conflicts between gangs of different ethnic groups occur only rarely.