Adolescent gang violence needs to be distinguished from adult and individual violence by gang members. Available evidence indicates that gang-related behavior can be changed through effective interventions, such as those implemented in East Los Angeles in the 1970's. Many of the stereotypical perceptions of gang behavior are being challenged by research which has shown that there are wide variations in the level of gang violence and that not all gangs are involved in the increasingly violent drug trade. The author suggests that economic variables may be as instrumental in the proliferation of gang activity as they are in the upsurge in illegal drug marketing. Research on gangs should take into account not only local economic factors, but also ethnicity and subcultural variations, variations in gang social structure and in gang values about violence, and variations between individual gang members.