All gang members lacked male role models in their households; and when they lived with their mothers, they were rarely home because of work schedules. Gang members often lived temporarily with various people. All but one gang member reported that one or more members of their immediate family had a criminal history or abused drugs. Gangs were attractive to them because of their loyalty, stability, and sense of group identity. Rather than the prosocial behaviors taught in most stable and well-adjusted families, the gangs instilled and reinforced violent behavior as a means of showing power, control, and status within and outside the gang. Formal education was viewed by gang members as having little value for their lifestyle and economic status, which was based in dealing drugs. On average, their first criminal offense was committed when they were 9 years old. In their neighborhoods, they were regularly exposed to violence and death from homicide. No gang members were employed in a conventional sense. The value that gang members place on remorseless violence makes them especially dangerous to law enforcement officers, whom gang members perceive as their ultimate enemy. These findings are based on interviews with 13 gang members, all of whom manifested similar characteristics distinct from nongang members interviewed. 5 notes