Youth Gangs

The origins of youth gangs can be traced back to the eighteenth century, but a consensus on gang definitions has never emerged and wide-ranging theories about the nature of gang culture abound. Although some evidence suggests a proliferation of gang violence in many countries outside of the United States, criminologists need to be aware of the way in which media and political influences generate ‘gang talkers.’ By focusing only on the small minority of prolific gang members who are involved in most of the violence, law enforcement agencies may have more success in preventing the issues from occurring.