A study of Chicano gangs in Los Angeles showed that girls who joined gangs tended to come from different kinds of families than boys. Because it was more acceptable for boys to be "out on the streets," boys were more likely to come from conventional working class families, whereas girls were more likely to come from underclass or abusive families. Families of girls who used heroin were unhappier and more violent than those of other female gang members. Family members made sexual advances to about one- third of girls who became heroin users and more than 25 percent of those who did not. Girls were also more likely than boys to have alcoholic or heroin-using parents. Gang influence persisted into the adult lives of heroin-using females. A study of gangs in Milwaukee demonstrated that ethnic differences between Hispanic and African American gangs were important and that drug dealing by these gangs also differed. Hispanic Americans were more active in the drug trade than African Americans. Female gang involvement tended to be affected by the responsibility of many young women for raising their children and by the extent of drug addiction. In general, most gangs live and operate in inner cities with seriously damaged economies. Young people do not always have a future to look forward to, and it is particularly difficult for women in most gang neighborhoods to see marriage as a predictable aspect of their future. In addition, changes in gender ideologies have occurred that correspond to changes in opportunities for both men and women. The expected role of females is different across ethnic communities, and future prospects for women at the bottom of the socioeconomic spectrum are not promising. The most important influence on female gang involvement in the future may be the dismantling of the welfare system. 8 notes and 1 table