NCJ Number
158647
Date Published
1994
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Because juvenile gangs in the United States are growing rapidly in number, breadth of location, drug involvement, amount and lethality of aggression, and impact on the community, the nature and extent of contemporary juvenile gangs and gang violence are examined.
Abstract
The role played by gangs in the lives of youth are explored in terms of psychological, interpersonal, and economic perspectives. Etiological factors responsible for the increase in gang participation and violence are discussed, and psychological research on youth gangs is reported. The need for culturally sensitive gang intervention programs that draw selectively and prescriptively on a full range of psychological, contextual, and criminal justice interventions is emphasized. The contribution of psychology to the study of gangs and gang prevention strategies is discussed. 104 references