This monograph provides guidelines for agencies and community groups to develop individualized responses to local gang problems. The manual contains a foundation for understanding the diverse nature of gangs, the problems they pose, and the harm they cause. Two models are presented for addressing gang-related problems. The problem-solving model to…

This book presents the story of a young boy who overcame the obstacles of a neglectful home life, juvenile crime, and abusive foster parents, to become a successful professional. It provides an account of growing up in poverty and neglect, explaining the complexities of juvenile gangs and deviant behavior. The book also discusses the shortcomings…

Black and white, male and female, rich and poor, American teenagers have the herding instinct. Sometimes the kids get together for fun, sometimes for trouble, sometimes for political purposes--but mostly they crave recognition, recognition, companionship, and excitement. Gangs are a way of life for many adolescents, part of the ritual of growing…

The current notion that Asians are overachievers and model students is quickly diminishing, as waves of undereducated, rural Southeast Asian refugees arrive and become frustrated school dropouts. Asian youth gangs are growing at alarming rates; they blend into community and victimize their own people. Recommendations are provided to help break…

Uses data from a multisite evaluation with a sample of 5,935 eighth graders to explore the extent to which gang girls are similar to gang boys. Findings indicate that girls in gangs are involved in a full array of illegal activities as frequently as are boys. Girls report greater isolation from family and friends than do boys. (SLD)

Used a theory-driven approach to evaluate a gang crime reduction program over 7 years. Data for 237 repeat juvenile offenders admitted to the program indicate a strong relationship between incarceration and gang crime trends and an overall reduction of 47% in gang crime. Discusses implications of the approach for program evaluation. (SLD)

Gangs have become a fixture in the Mexican American populations of southern California and other regions, spreading from low-income neighborhoods in the Southwest to working class and lower-middle class suburban areas. The development and institutionalization of gangs have involved many factors, including racial discrimination and economic…

This report fulfills the annual reporting requirements of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974 as amended, and describes the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP) efforts to carry out the broad mandates of the JJDP Act during fiscal year 1991. The report begins with an explanation of the…

This booklet is concerned with the issue of youth gangs. A brief introduction provides examples of gang violence and notes that juvenile gangs are not just a problem in large metropolitan areas, but are being established in communities nationwide. Following this introduction is a series of questions and answers about gangs. Questions focus on what…

Strategies to enhance prosecution of gang-related crimes are presented, with a focus on enforcement and prosecution targeting urban street gangs. The model programs introduced offer strategies largely based on the practical experiences of agencies that participated in a demonstration program, the Urban Street Gang Drug Trafficking Enforcement…

Based on news stories from U.S. newspapers, this report examines the prevalence of gun violence in American schools. During the past 4 years, beginning with September 1986, at least 71 people (65 students and 6 employees) have been killed with guns at school. Another 201 were severely wounded, and 242 individuals were held hostage at gunpoint.…

Increased violence in the schools necessitates the identification of potential gang development and formation of preventive safety policies. Included in this bulletin for principals are steps for gang activity identification, preventive strategies, appropriate responses to altercations, and guidelines for security and supervision of…

This study was designed to fill the need for empirically derived information to determine the most salient factors which differentiate street gang youths from youths in comparable neighborhoods who remain independent of the street gang. (Author)

Among the causes of boredom among Hispanic youth which sometimes leads to the formation of juvenile gangs are the lack of jobs in the barrio, the stereotyping of Chicano youth as delinquents, the lack of educational opportunities, and the practice of police authorities of tracking Hispanic youths and creating "records" for them. (NQ)

Youth gangs can be found throughout all racial, ethnic, and religious groups. Characteristics of gang membership and suggestions for parent and school involvement in preventing gangs are discussed. (DF)