NCJ Number
189959
Journal
Journal of Gang Research Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: Summer 2001 Pages: 1-12
Date Published
2001
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article presents the findings of a statewide and criminal justice system-wide survey on youth gangs in North Carolina.
Abstract
The article contains data on the nature and extent of gangs in the public schools, their evolution, and the types of criminal activities in which the gang members engage. A 73-item survey was administered to the State's school resource officers who work in the middle and senior high schools across the State. Survey respondents identified 1,183 gang members in 35 of the 94 counties in which at least one survey response was obtained. Gangs were present in at least 58 of the State's middle and senior high schools. School gangs engaged in more drug selling and vandalism and were more likely to possessed firearms than their predecessors. The school gangs also possess a greater degree of solidarity and internal cohesiveness than earlier school-related gangs. The article recommends more research in order to ascertain the impact of gangs on school staff, students, and the learning environment. It also suggests case studies that focus on individual gangs and their members in order to determine if the gangs were formed based upon school relationships or were formed in the community and had a spillover effect in schools. Research should also compare gangs across various schools and track gangs and their members as they exit the school system. Finally, the article suggests that effective practices for removing gangs from schools should be publicized and replicated across the State and Nation. Tables, references