The first chapter provides an overview of youth violence in America. It identifies some of the factors that contribute to youth crime and violence, including migration, media influence, demographics, family environment, substance abuse, and poverty. Other topics discussed in this chapter are school violence, custodial time, juvenile arrest trends, and societal apathy. A chapter on gang lifestyle is followed by a chapter on gang sociology. The latter encompasses types of gangs, gang membership, gang leadership models, gang crime, and mental health issues. Gang membership profiles are discussed in another chapter. Among the topics discussed are gang mentality, graffiti, clothing, tattoos, burns and brands, scars, body piercing, haircuts, handsigns, slang, jewelry, and gang equipment (cellular phones, pagers, scanners). Separate chapters provide general profiles of each of the following gang types: Latino gangs, Asian gangs, African-American gangs, skinhead gangs, American militias, prison gangs, motorcycle gangs, occult gangs, hybrid gangs, tagger crews, party crews, Midwestern gangs, Jamaican gangs, female gangs, and gangs in the military. Other chapters address gangs in the school environment, the T.A.R.G.E.T. strategy for countering gangs, substance abuse and gangs, gangs and family, and nonviolent gang crime. Subject index and a 55-item bibliography