VIOLENCE BY YOUTH GANGS AND YOUTH GROUPS AS A CRIME PROBLEM IN MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES - INTERIM REPORT

• NCJ Number: 34497
• Author(s): W B MILLER
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 216 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-NI-99-0047
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS SURVEY PRESENTS A PRELIMINARY SET OF CONCLUSIONS AS TO THE EXISTENCE, SCOPE, SERIOUSNESS, AND CHARACTER OF VIOLENCE AND OTHER FORMS OF CRIME BY YOUTH GANGS AND YOUTH GROUPS IN TWELVE AMERICAN CITIES.

Abstract

THE AUTHOR, IN GATHERING INFORMATION, INTERVIEWED 148 RESPONDENTS IN 17 TYPES OF AGENCIES IN 12 CITIES (NEW YORK, CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES, PHILADELPHIA, HOUSTON, DETROIT, BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON, CLEVELAND, SAN FRANCISCO, ST. LOUIS, AND NEW ORLEANS). INFORMATION IS PRESENTED ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: THE BASIS FOR THE CHOICE OF SITE-VISIT CITIES; SITE-VISIT CITIES WHICH REPORT YOUTH GANG PROBLEMS, AND HOW SERIOUS THESE ARE JUDGED TO BE; CITIES WHICH REPORT PROBLEMS WITH YOUTH GROUPS, AND HOW SERIOUS THESE ARE JUDGED TO BE; JUDGMENTS OF SERIOUSNESS OF GANG OR GROUP PROBLEMS BY VARIOUS CITY AGENCIES; THE NUMBERS OF GANGS AND/OR GROUPS IN MAJOR CITIES; THE NUMBERS OF GANG AND/OR GROUP MEMBERS IN MAJOR CITIES; AND THE PROPORTION OF YOUTH AFFILIATED WITH GANGS. OTHER TOPICS INCLUDE AGE, SEX, SOCIAL STATUS, LOCALITY, AND ETHNIC CHARACTERISTICS OF GANG MEMBERS; NUMBERS AND RATES OF GANG-RELATED KILLINGS; GANG-RELATED KILLINGS AS A PROPORTION OF ALL JUVENILE KILLINGS; NUMBERS AND RATES OF ALL JUVENILE ARRESTS; FORMS OF GANG MEMBER VIOLENCE; VICTIMS OF GANG MEMBER VIOLENCE; GANG WEAPONRY; MOTIVES FOR GANG VIOLENCE; TYPES OF GANG ACTIVITY IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS; ISSUES RELATIVE TO GANG PROBLEMS IN THE SCHOOLS, AND REASONS FOR CURRENT PATTERNS OF GANG VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOLS. THE AUTHOR'S CONCLUDING REMARKS, IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION, 'HOW SERIOUS ARE PROBLEMS POSED BY YOUTH GANG VIOLENCE' IS THAT IT IS MORE LETHAL TODAY THAN EVER BEFORE, THAT THE SECURITY OF A WIDER SECTOR OF THE CITIZENRY IS THREATENED BY GANGS TO A GREATER DEGREE THAN EVER BEFORE, AND THAT VIOLENCE AND OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES BY MEMBERS OF YOUTH GANGS AND GROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES OF THE MID-1970'S REPRESENT A CRIME PROBLEM OF THE FIRST MAGNITUDE WHICH SHOWS LITTLE PROSPECT OF EARLY ABATEMENT.