American street gangs

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Chapter 1. What is a Street Gang?

Delinquency and Gangs

Definition of a Gang

General Description of Gangs and Gang Members

Statistics: Counting Gangs and Gang Members

Non-Street Gangs: Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and Prison Gangs

Prison Gangs

Summary

Chapter 2. A History of Street Gangs

The Early 1800s: The Birth of Street Gangs,

Mid-1800s: The Escalation of Street Gangs

The Civil War Period-1900

The Early 1900s: The Spread of Street Gangs

The Mid-1900s: An Expansion and Shift in Geographic Gang Dominance

Contemporary Gangs (1970s to the Present): An Epidemic

Summary

Chapter 3. Theoretical Explanations of Street Gangs

Biological and Psychological Theories

Sociological Theories

Summary

Chapter 4. Socioeconomic Explanations of Street Gangs

Traditional Socioeconomic Factors

Kicks and Thrills

Summary

Chapter 5. Gang Structure and Process

Gang Structure

Turning: The Socialization of a Gang Member

Code of the Street: Respect

Summary

Chapter 6. Street Gangs: Rural, Suburban, Local, National, and Transnational

Gang Proliferation

Rural and Suburban Street Gangs

Urban Local Street Gangs

Nation Street Gangs

Transnational Street Gangs

Asian Street Gangs

Summary

Chapter 7. Female Gangs and Gang Members

Female Gang Participation

Female Gangsters

Types of Female Gangs

Criminal Activities

Relationships with Males and Schools

Gang Families

Summary

Chapter 8. Criminal Activities of Street Gangs

Crime and Punishment

Violent Crimes

Property Crimes

Drugs: Use, Sale, Distribution, and Trafficking

Nontraditional and White-Collar Crime

Summary

Chapter 9. Street Gang Intervention: Prevention, Suppression, and Treatment

Prevention Strategies

Suppression Strategies

Gang Treatment Programs

Summary

Chapter 10. What's Trending with Street Gangs

A Review

Trends

Parting Thoughts

Summary

References

Index