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Putting Youth Crime and Gangs inPerspective: Lessons from the (failed)
American and Emerging EuropeanExperiences
Scott Decker, Ph.D.Curator’s Professor
Department of Criminology and Criminal JusticeUM-St. Louis
8001 Natural Bridge RoadSt. Louis, MO 63121-4499
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Evolution of Gangs in America
1890’s
1920’s
1960’s
1980’s and beyond
Common issues: (1) immigration, (2) economic transitions, (3) focus on minority populations, and (4) rapid population change.
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Elements of a Gang Definition
Group characteristics.
Symbols of membership.
Persistence of membership.
Self-identification.
Criminal involvement.
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Recognizing GangsSources of Gangs.
Troubled Individuals?
Young Criminals?
Disrupted or ineffective social systems?
Sources of Knowledge about Gangs.
The case of the St. Louis Task Force and the media.
The Social Process of Responding to Gangs.
DenialIdentificationOver-identification
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Y e s N o
G a n g a n d N o n g a n g C itie s Y e a r 2 0 0 0 N a tio n a l Y o u th G a n g S u rv e y
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0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
Number of Gang Cities by Year.Similar growth in number of gangs (28,000) and members (850,000by 2000).
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Characteristics of Gang Members
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62%
38%
Gender of U.S. Gang Members
Data Sources: NYGC 1996 Survey, Esbensen & Winfree (1998)
90%
10%
Survey DataLaw Enforcement Data
FemaleMale
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77%
23%15%
85%
15 & OverUnder 15
Age of U.S. Gang Members
Survey DataLaw Enforcement Data
Data Sources: NYGC 1996 Survey, Esbensen & Winfree (1998)
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26%
74%
14%
86%
WhiteOther
Ethnicity of U.S. Gang Members
Survey DataLaw Enforcement Data
Data Sources: NYGC 1996 Survey, Esbensen & Winfree (1998)
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Characteristics of Gang Behavior
Homicide and “Hangin’ out”
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THREAT
From Outside/Rival GangEscalates Violence and Weapons
Compels NeighborhoodYoung People to Join
The Gang
From NeighborhoodGang
Symbolic Benefits(power, prestige, thrills)
Disrupts Socializing Power of Social Institutions
(family, school, labor market)
Instrumental Benefits(drug sales, property crime, protection)
Social Aspectsof Membership
(belonging, hanging out, cohesion)
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0
10
20
30
40
50
0
10
20
30
40
50
Self-Reported Gang Status & Juvenile Court Records 1997
% with Status Offense
None Involved Member
% with Delinquency Referral
11% 23% 18% 44%
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0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
70%34%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Gang Status & Self-Reported Involvement in Violence St. Louis STG Study.
% Used Violence
None Involved Member
% Carried Gun
5% 40%
% Shot At
7% 34%
Gang Status
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Common Myths About American Gangs
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Myths About American GangsStreet Gangs resemble Organized Crime Groups
Gang members specialize in particular offenses
Gang Members Graduate to Organized Crime Groups
Status as a Gang Member is permanent
Gangs Control Drug Retail and Wholesale Drugs Sales
Gangs Are Effective Business Organizations
You can never leave the Gang
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Gangs are like a Family
Gangs Protect their Neighborhoods
Gangs don’t exist outside the United States (e.g. inEurope)
The number of girl gang members is too small to worryabout
Crime is the primary activity that gang members dotogether
All gangs are the same
Los Angeles and Chicago gangs are the model for gangsacross the country
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Responding to Gangs
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Five Strategies for Responding to Gangs
Source: Spergel & Curry 1990, 1993; Spergel 1995
Suppression
CommunityOrganization
OrganizationalChange/Development
OpportunityProvision
SocialIntervention
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Five Strategies for Responding to GangsLevels of Application as Primary Strategy
1988 National Youth Gang Survey
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Su
pp
res
sio
n
So
cia
lIn
terv
en
tio
n
Org
an
iza
tio
na
lC
ha
ng
e
Co
mm
un
ity
Org
an
iza
tio
n
Op
po
rtu
nit
ies
Pro
vis
ion
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Five Strategies for Responding to GangsPerceived Effectiveness Ratings
1988 National Youth Gang Survey
0%
10%
20%
30%
Su
pp
res
sio
n
So
cia
lIn
terv
en
tio
n
Org
an
iza
tio
na
lC
ha
ng
e
Co
mm
un
ity
Org
an
iati
n
Op
po
rtu
nit
ies
Pro
vis
ion
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The Eurogang Program
A group of European and American scholars that has met every year since 1997 to work to understand emerging gangs in Europe. The group has faced a remarkably similar set of issues as American gang researchers did in the 1980’s. Key issues include: immigration, diversity, moral panic, the Eurogang “paradox”, and the role of cultural transmission.
Somalian gangs in Oslo.Turkish and Moroccan gangs in Amsterdam and den Hague. Youth gangs in Russia and Kazan.Youth gangs in Italy. Ausiedler (Germans repatriated from the former Soviet Union) in Germany.Hate groups and neo-Nazis in Germany, Norway, and Finland.Jamaican gangs in Britain.British gang boys in Manchester.
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The Perils of Misunderstanding Gangs
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Why is it important to understand gangs?
What errors does it lead us to make for policy, practice and programming if we misunderstand gangs?
Who suffers from such a misunderstanding?
Police.Youth.Youth Workers.Society.Gang members.Family members.Criminal Justice and Youth Policy.
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Useful Websites for Further Information about Gangs
www.nupi.no/ForskFelles/eurogang/gang-set.html
www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
www.iir.com/nygc - the site of the National Youth Gang Center
http://courses.smsu.edu/mkc096f/gangbook/default.htm - the siteOf a comprehensive online book about gangs by Dr. Mike Carlie atSouthwest Missouri State University
http://streetgangs.com/ - A general website with lots of arcane And interesting information. http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/crimjust/gangs.htm - A website
Developed by the Michigan State library about gangs.