This report profiles teenage skinheads and satanists using data collected from interviews with and questionnaires completed by 32 skinheads as well as an analysis of case files of skinheads and self-proclaimed satanists currently housed in the California Youth Authority.
The study found major differences between racist and nonracist skinheads. Hardcore racist skinheads identified themselves as racist, as members of the skinhead gang, and as rebels against mainstream American values. These hardcore skinheads reported feeling bored with their lives, having been in trouble with the police, and having family members who were racist. Many had contemplated suicide, and most admitted to spending a lot of money on drugs. Other skinheads identified themselves as SHARP's (Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice). They view blacks as equal to whites, but they hold that society should discriminate against homosexuals. Racist skinheads consider themselves to have been bullies in grammar school and favor expressions of violence in the music to which they listen. They reported being abused by their parents in childhood. An analysis of teenage satanists housed in the California Youth Authority indicates they shared, among other characteristics, family backgrounds with strict religious moral codes. Both hard-core skinheads and satanists are considered by officials of the California Youth Authority to be "stoner" gang members, who tend to congregate in specific locations during and after school. They are attracted to heavy metal music groups and satanic paraphernalia.