The high number of female gang members recorded in self-report studies may reflect the younger ages of survey respondents compared with the ages of youth on police rosters. Females tend to drop out of gang life at earlier ages than males, often because of pregnancy.
Surprisingly, female gangs are somewhat more likely to be found in small cities and rural areas than in large cities. Their ethnicity varies from one region to another, with African American gangs predominant in the Midwest and Northeast and Latino gangs predominant in the southwest.
Joining a gang is a significant, potentially life altering event. The reasons for any single juvenile joining a gang are complex and personal. Though most females join gangs for friendship and self-affirmation, recent research has begun to shed some light on economic and family pressures motivating many young women to join gangs.
Female gang members have been affected not only by economic shifts, but by recent changes in the welfare system. Welfare has been an important economic resource for many of them. In Los Angeles, CA, for example, Mexican American gang members active in the 1950's and the 1970's became pregnant, on average, at age 18. They tended to rely on Welfare, combined with work and help from their families, to survive. However, welfare reforms introduced in the mid 1990's have reduce or eliminated welfare payments. Because female gang members often face significant barriers to legitimate employment, it is unclear what they will do to replace welfare support. Ethnic marginality often lies behind economic marginality. .
There is one aspect of gang life that does not seem to be changing - The gang as a refuge for young women who have been victimized at home. Research shows that high proportions of female gang members have experienced sexual abuse at home. Many had run away and had joined gangs to obtain protection from abusive families.
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. ...
