Defining "gang member" and "gang crime" Localities interested in pursuing anti-gang policies, strategies and programs face the challenge of developing operational definitions for the terms "gang," "gang member" and "gang crime" (or "gang-related offense"). On this page, find links to articles, awards, events, publications, and multimedia related to gangs and gang crime. Gang members engage in a higher level of serious and violent crime than their non-gang-involved peers.

Understanding the Context

Research about gangs is often intertwined with research about gun violence and drug crime. It is clear that gangs, guns, drugs and violence are interconnected.[1] The gang problem in the United States has remained stubbornly persistent over the past decade. Here are the facts: One in three local law enforcement agencies in 2010 reported youth gang problems in their jurisdiction. [1] In a 2010 national survey, 45 percent of high school students and 35 percent of middle-schoolers said that there were gangs β€” or students who considered themselves part of ...

Key Insights

Gangs remain one of the more formidable issues that corrections officials face in managing prisons. About 200,000 of the 1.5 million people incarcerated in the U.S. are affiliated with gangs, and there is no sign that prison gang activity is abating.[1] Gangs are responsible for a disproportionate amount of prison misconduct and violence, and their presence and actions challenge ongoing ... A prison gang is a durable group that shares a collective identity, maintains a locus of custodial influence, exhibits collective behavior, and engages in a pattern of illegal activity. Emerging evidence suggests that prisoners enter and exit gangs while incarcerated.

Final Thoughts

Prison officials have constructed intelligence apparatuses to document and manage gang populations. There is no consensus ... This study examined the relationship between youth gang membership and violent victimization among a general sample of adolescents. Gang-involved youth are responsible for a disproportionate share of crime in communities.[1] Successfully tackling gang involvement and associated criminal activities should result in a substantial reduction of crime β€” including violent crime β€” in affected neighborhoods. To that end, many programs and strategies have been developed to prevent gang involvement, reduce the criminal ...