Gangs: A Guide to Understanding Street Gangs

As you begin your study of gang behaviors you will quickly find that gangs share many characteristics and are also unique to themselves. The author has attempted to research the genesis and history of a few of the larger better-known gangs to be illustrations of specific gang types. They are not mentioned to glorify gang activity, but rather to better understand the affect that culture and history has had on gang development in the United States.

Street gangs tend to form as a result of bias, racism and class distinction. These three social factors appear to be root causes that facilitate gang formation. Whether perceived or real these social factors exerted and continue to exert an influence on people who live in this country. There are many reasons why youth join gangs. That is why there is no 'one size fits all' solution to the complex issues regarding gang recruitment, membership, suppression, intervention, and prevention programs. Street gangs are a function of your community. Street gangs are dependent on demographics, geography and community dynamics. Therefore it becomes easier to understand why communities should not compare their gang issues with other communities. Every community is different yet there appears to be a common thread that links all gangs together and makes them similar. That thread is gang related behaviors.