Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Tables and Figures

Introduction

Methodology

Survey sample

Response rate

Extrapolation/Estimation

Weighting percentages

Demographics

Data limitations

Survey Results

Prevalence of youth gangs

Number of jurisdictions with active youth gangs

Number of youth gangs and gang members

Perception of the youth gang problem

Gang member demographics

Age

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Youth gangs and crime

Gang crime definitions

Homicides

Gang member involvement in criminal activity

Use of firearms in assault crimes

Drug gangs

Adults returning from prison: Effect on youth gangs

Task force or multiagency collaboration

Defining youth gangs

Youth gangs’ defining characteristics

Alternative definition of youth gangs

Summary

Endnotes

References

Appendix A: 1998 National Youth Gang Survey Form for the Representative Sample

Appendix B: Abbreviated 1998 National Youth Gang Survey Form for the Comparative Sample

Appendix C: Random Sample Selection Methodology

Appendix D: Jurisdictions Reporting Active Youth Gangs in 1998

Appendix E: U.S. Regions and Divisions Used for the 1998 National Youth Gang Survey

Publications From OJJDP

1998 Youth Gang Survey OJJDP Summary

November 2000