Surviving the Streets of Makeevka

The chapter explores the subculture of street children in Makeevka, Ukraine. Drawing upon qualitative and quantitative data gathered during longitudinal anthropological field research their surviving strategies along with social structures, economic activities and substance abuse are presented. In addition, extra-, intra- and inter-group violence is analyzed with an emphasis on the child's situational interpretation and adoption of the code of the street through subsequent code/identity switching and subcultural reactions.

“It's a Vicious Game”

This chapter explores the activities and characteristics of street gangs and organised crime groups in contemporary British society. Although numerous studies exist which investigate youth delinquency and group violence in Britain, there is less research which specifically investigates contemporary British criminal gangs - carrying out such an exploration is the organising principle of this chapter. Through conducting qualitative research at an adult men's prison in England and its surrounding area, this chapter attempts to articulate the experiences of prisoners and street-offenders on this subject. The results illustrate the entrenched role street gangs and organised crime groups hold in certain areas of England; not only are they seen as viable alternatives to gainful employment, but their activities are often sanctioned by the communities within which they are based. Subsequently, a high level of violence is normalised within such communities, including heightened levels of weapon usage by gang members, both within and outside prison.

Sticks and Stones

The present chapter takes a social psychological approach to understanding hate groups and how hate groups use hate as a promotional tool and as an implement of aggression. As a promotional tool, hate groups use hate to attract new members to their organizations and to promote their beliefs to the mainstream public. Hate also serves as an incendiary, to fuel the emotions of their members, to incite them into action, and to wield against their targets. In this chapter we will attempt to explain why people hate and how they justify their hatred and resulting actions through a number of social psychological theories including realistic group conflict (Bonacich, 1972; Sherif et al., 1961/1988) relative deprivation (Catalono et al., 1993; Hepworth & West, 1988; Hovland & Sears, 1940), social identity theory (Abrams & Hogg, 1990; Festinger, 1954; Tajfel & Turner, 1986; Thoits & Virshup, 1997) and terror management (Pyszczynski, Solomon, & Greenberg, 1997; 2005; Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 1991; 2004).

The Reorganisation of Gangs in New Zealand

The first decade of the new century has seen significant changes among the gangs of New Zealand. Facing a changing cultural climate in which rebellious young people see membership in traditional ‘patch'-wearing gangs as less desirable, New Zealand's established gangs have become starved for recruits. Rather than precipitating a straightforward decline in the country's gang scene, however, what we are seeing is a reorganisation of the gangs. This chapter examines the problems facing the outlaw motorcycle clubs and the patched street gangs, and the numerous and complex nature of the issues facing these groups. It also explores the rise of LA-style street gangs and the similarities and difference that exist between them and New Zealand's traditional gangs.

Baby Steps

With gang initiation starting as early as the primary school grades, the challenge to educators and administrators is to identify and suppress gang activities within the confines of school grounds. Taking into consideration the impotence of school systems to control the neighborhood and family environments, understanding the important role of schools to keep students engaged in scholarship to prevent gang membership cannot be stressed enough. Taking an applied approach, this chapter identifies what educators, administrators, and staff can do to identify behavior that might be on the surface mere imitation of gang membership (e.g. throwing gang signs), but could be symptomatic of close contact with known gang members and possibly exposure to the violence associated with gangs. The more school personnel can be cognizant of behavior that is indicative of exposure to gangs, curriculum planning and after school programs can be designed more efficiently to counter delinquent influences within the community, beyond “just say no” strategies.

Cape Town Gangs

Almost all gang studies throughout the 20th century and most in the 21st locate the reasons for both gang membership and a tendency to violence in the environments within which young people are raised: family, neighbourhood, school, poverty, access to drugs and general deprivation. In Cape Town all these were present under apartheid and still persist 20 years after the country became a democracy. The reasons for this persistence have to do with global and local economics, skills shortages, corruption, political mismanagement and neglect of certain neighbourhoods and are beyond the scope of this chapter. Rather, acknowledging these influences, this study looks at how gangs are defined and examines them from a more finely grained perspective.

An Exploratory Study of Prison Gangs in Contemporary Society

This chapter investigates the composition of prison gangs, their effects on the prison environment, and their relationships with street gangs. Through conducting an ethnographic study of an adult men's prison in England, the chapter attempts to articulate the experiences of prison gang members, as well as prisoners exposed to high levels of gang activity. The results illustrate the established role gangs play within English prisons, but also the relevance of other groups, collectives and “sets” within the penal environment. Through analysing the gathered data, I aim to show the important - but not defining - role gangs play within an English prison. Moreover, when compared to the American prison system, gangs are far less entrenched in English prisons; this can partly be attributed to the deeper historical roots of American prison gangs, as well as their highly racialized dimensions. The chapter begins with two case-studies, the subjects of which are prisoners from the research site.

In Hand, Out of Hand

This chapter interrogates the nature and function of weapons in Latino gang culture, and is divided into three parts. It begins by defining Latino gangs in the Americas, and classifying them into Mexican-American gangs, Mexican gangs, and Central American gangs. Despite differences in region, economic situation, generations and cultural characteristics, I draw broad similarities by focusing specifically on large, organized gangs within each of the three classifications. The second section interrogates the logics and motivations driving gangs' use of weapons, along with the psychological and instrumental functions of weapons use for Latino gangs. The chapter's third section is a substantial conclusion which argues for approaches to gang-violence which derive from the field of peace and conflict studies, including short-term approaches to violence reduction (gang ceasefires and truces) and longer term, ecological approaches based on the theoretical framework of community resilience.

Youth Gang Exit

Youth gangs and their members have been studied in a variety of contexts; however the issue of desistance has received less attention. This chapter seeks to address this gap. In order to situate the material to be covered, the chapter begins with an introduction to the topic of youth gangs. Next, an overview of the concept of desistance and how it is measured is provided. Following that is a review of some prominent criminological perspectives demonstrating that leaving the gang is a complex process involving the interaction of a combination of factors. The process of desistance and methods for leaving the gang are also briefly discussed. Several approaches have been developed to address youth gangs and their members. These approaches are reviewed and different interventions under these headings are discussed with Canadian examples provided. Finally, an argument for the development of a comprehensive strategy for youth gang exit is presented.

Forensic Psychological Perspectives on Youth Gang Involvement in Juvenile Fire Setting and Bomb Making Weapons Cases

The purpose of this chapter is to explore issues related to gang-affiliated youth's use of JFSB behavior as a weapon. Too often, the critical analysis of JFSB is circumscribed to the act with little or no consideration of a clinical forensic weapons use motivation. In this case, successful efforts to identify and isolate the origins of such events are more contingent upon a deeper understanding of the subtle processes that explain this particular kind of weapons use by juvenile gang members.