Quantitative and qualitative data from the agency records were collected on 70 wards who were considered to be gang members. They ranged in age from 14 to 21. Fifty-seven percent were black, 25 percent were Hispanic, 10 percent were white, and 8 percent were Asian American. Sixty-four percent were from Los Angeles, 11 percent from San Jose, and the remainder from a variety of areas. The 70 female gang members had been arrested 289 times, including 135 arrests for violent crimes, 81 arrests for property crimes, 39 arrests for drug law offenses, and 32 arrests for other offenses. Contrary to prior data, only nine arrests for juvenile status offenses and only five were for prostitution. A surprising finding was that 94 percent of the females had been arrested for a violent crime, including 22 murders, 31 armed robberies, and 31 assaults with a deadly weapon. Most participants claimed to have joined a gang somewhere around age 12. Sixty-two percent of their commitment offenses were committed with a group, often a group of all females. Participants joined gangs to meet needs not met at home, to be with their friends, to follow the example of other family members, or for excitement. Findings indicated involvement in serious and violent crime and the need for further research to determine the theoretical and policy implications. Notes and 15 references