U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Girls and Gangs: A Review of Recent Research

NCJ Number
160790
Journal
Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 47 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1996) Pages: 21-39
Author(s)
R G Shelden; S K Tracy; W B Brown
Date Published
1996
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This review of recent research on females in gangs defines the nature of a gang, considers the social context of girl gangs, and profiles some illustrative case studies of female gang members.
Abstract
A review of various definitions of gangs is followed by an overview of girls and gangs. The overview notes that although many girls are becoming more independent and aggressive, most girls who are part of gangs are either the girl friends of the male members or constitute a "little sisters" subgroup of the male gang. Girls in gangs are not generally "recruited", nor are they pressured or coerced into gang membership. Members come from normal neighborhood friendship groups and through family ties. Girls often join gangs for the same reasons as males, such as for a sense of belonging. An examination of the social context of girl gangs concludes that research shows girls are attracted to gangs to resolve needs and problems occasioned by limited economic and social opportunities. Some of these needs and problems are limited opportunities for interesting and challenging jobs, cultural pressure to subordinate themselves to men, responsibility for children, the social isolation of the housewife, and the powerlessness of underclass membership. The concluding section presents summaries of four recent case studies of girl gang members in different parts of the country. These studies illustrate the social and economic context of girl gang members and their lifestyles, attitudes and belief systems, and the ways in which they are different and similar to male gangs. 41 references

Downloads

No download available

Availability