THE STUDY PRESENTS INFORMATION ON THE ASSAULT-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR OF GANGS, THE FREQUENCY OF VIOLENT CRIME, THE RACE AND SOCIAL STATUS OF GANG MEMBERS, THE CHARACTER OF VIOLENT CRIMES, THE TARGETS OF VIOLENT CRIME, AND GANG FIGHTING. ALSO INVESTIGATED IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AGE OF GANG MEMBERS AND THEIR PROPENSITY TO ENGAGE IN VIOLENCE. THE DATA SHOWED THAT INVOLVEMENT IN VIOLENT CRIME WAS A TRANSIENT PHENOMENON WHICH DID NOT USUALLY CARRY OVER INTO ADULT BEHAVIOR. IN ADDITION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PRACTICE OF VIOLENT CRIME BY GANG MEMBERS WAS EXTREMELY REGULAR AND PREDICTABLE. THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT TO UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER OF VIOLENT CRIME, A USEFUL DISTINCTION MAY BE MADE BETWEEN 'MEANS' VIOLENCE AND 'END' VIOLENCE, AND THE CONTEXT IN WHICH ONE TYPE IS PREFERRED TO THE OTHER. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)