166).
Are they sex objects or tomboys? Individual females are portrayed in terms of their sexual activity, with an occasional mention of their functions as weapon carries for male gang members. The behavior of the girls seems to be predicated on the assumption that the way to get boys to like you was to be like them rather than sexually accessible to them. Sex object and tomboy are both variants of the bad girl role. Good girls are modest and feminine, bad girls are not.
The accuracy of early descriptions of female gang members as sex objects and tomboys is difficult to judge because there is not enough reliable data. In most historical information about female gangs comes from journalists who were likely to emphasize the sensational and from social workers, who were likely to emphasize members personal problems. Both sources fed the bad girl stereotype.
However, looking back, the early skepticism about whether female gangs were real gangs seems odd. It seems to have been based on a very narrow view of what a gang really is. Gangs - male and female alike - differ greatly from one another. Those differences affect the behavior of young members and their chances of maturing into conventional, law abiding, adults. A female gang may be autonomous or allied with a male gang, or female gang members may be part of a fully gender - integrated gang (Miller, 1975). Research indicates that joining a gang - regardless of the gang structure - is a significant act for adolescent females, often with important consequences later in life (Miller, 2000).
Law enforcement agencies first survey was conducted in the 1970's. It estimated that 10% of all gang members were female. 20 years later, in 1992, another survey found that only 3.7% of all gang members were female. A criminologist associated with the latter survey commentated that this low proportion mat have resulted because 32% of the surveyed jurisdictions did not, as a matter of policy, identify females as gang members.
Why Do Female Youths Join Gangs? ... First, the independent female gang. The independent female gang is completely separate of the male gang. ... The auxiliary female gang is the most common and one in which the females are separate from the males in the gang, but are still apart of the whole gang. ... While researching female gangs, Miller found only one independent female gang in 1975. ...
This book talked about what gangs are, who joins gangs and why, and many other facets involving gangs. ... Early studies of gangs did not consider females as gang members. ... Now it is seen that females include a secondary role in gang activities. Females often help male members by carrying weapons, offering alibis, and gathering information on rival gang members. Recent studies show that females make up 10-30 percent of all gang members. ...
In this gang, comprised of young, insecure females, criminal activity and gang related symbols are a source of fulfillment in the womens" empty lives. What influences a young woman to join the ranks of a gang differs from every female. ... Harassment is another major factor that causes females to turn to gangs. ... Females make up only six percent of gangs in America, but are increasing rapidly (Moore). ... Usually female gang members stop preceding in gang activity and concentrating more on school around the age of eighteen. ...
Presented Problem- Gangs As defined by Sgt. ... Female gangs also erupted in the 50's. ... Female gang activities varied from drinking and smoking marijuana to mugging and shoplifting. ... Why do youths join gangs? ... Often times, this results in gang interaction. ...
Kids in gangs are not bad. At least half come from a "good family" a lot join gangs to feel needed o! ... "The increasing antipathy which teen age girls feel toward traditional female roles lead towards antisocial male behaviors (Adler 91). Many join gangs for the same reason as the males. For some kids both male and female drugs, gang and guns are simply vehicles through with to satisfy a more basic yearning or belonging (Witkin, 27). ...
Female Delinquency Who is the typical female delinquent? ... Specifically, delinquent behavior involves a range of activities far broader than those committed by the "stereotypical" street gang. ... Indeed, some forms of serious delinquent behavior such as drug and alcohol abuse, are far more frequent than the stereotypical delinquent behavior of gang fighting and vandalism and appear to cut across "class and gender lines." ... One national study of youth aged 15-21, for example, noted that only 5% reported involvement in a serious assault, and only 6% reported having participated in a g...
Gang violence is a problem in society today. ... Gang violence and gang activities impact all of those around the gang members. ... Often, female gang members are used to lure new members in. ... These tactics are most frequently used in larger gangs in large cities where gangs are abundant, however, they may be used by smaller gangs as well. ... Gang members mostly refer to joining the gang as "blood in blood out". ...
Although the majority of gang members arrested were male, female delinquency is also on the rise. ... Recently Asian gangs have been emerging. ... Predatory gangs'' are responsible for the violent crimes associated most often with gang violence. (Sadler, 1997) In these gangs the lines between gangs and organized crime start to blur. ... Hedonistic gangs'' focus primarily on the social aspects of gang activity "hanging out and getting high. ...
So they turn to a gang for an income. ... Although gangs are male dominated there are woman in gangs. But the males tend to not allow females too much power within gangs. ... Gangs say they have a lot to offer a teen. ... Some join for the protection the gang gives them. ...
