Lori Mingloski
Literature Analysis: Topic Identification &
Bibliography April 5, 2020
CJUS 550
LITERATURE ANALYSIS: TOPIC IDENTIFICATION & BIBLIOGRAPHY
TEMPLATE
Proposed Topic:
Juvenile gang membership prevalence and tactics to decrease juvenile gang membership
Proposed Thesis Statement:
Juvenile gang membership is not a new phenomenon; however, it has become more prevalent
due to varying elements. Many cities and towns allocate resources to prevent juvenile gang
membership and to implement intervention programs. The reasons juveniles might join gangs
are important to know for those who are wanting to use resources for prevention efforts and
interventions. The underlying problems have to be addressed in order for resourse to be used
most efficiently and effectively. This research paper will explore background of juveniles and
gang membership and discuss factors leading to juvenile gang membership.
Preliminary Bibliography
Armstrong, D. (2014, March 14). Negative effects of joining a gang last long after gang
membership ends.
Decker, S. H., Pyrooz, D. C., Sweeten, G., & Moule, R. K. (2014). Validating Self-Nomination
in Gang Research: Assessing Differences in Gang Embeddedness Across Non-, Current,
and Former Gang Members. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 30(4), 577–598. doi:
10.1007/s10940-014-9215-8
Esbensen, F.-A., Peterson, D., Taylor, T. J., & Freng, A. (2010). Gang Membership. In Youth
Violence: Sex and Race Differences in Offending, Victimization, and Gang
Membership (pp. 70–81). Temple University Press.
Gilman, A., Hill, K., Hawkins, J. D., “Long-Term Consequences of Adolescent Gang
Membership for Adult Functioning”, American Journal of Public Health 104, no. 5
(May 1, 2014): pp. 938-945.
Hardman, D. G. (1969). Small Town Gangs. The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and
Police Science, 60(2), 173–181.
Hill, K. G., Howell, J. C., Hawkins, J. D., & Battin-Pearson, S. R. (2017). Childhood Risk
Factors for Adolescent Gang Membership: Results from the Seattle Social Development
Project. Gangs, 489–511.
Krohn, Ward, Thornberry, & Lizotte. (2011). Adverse Effects.
Kubrin, C. E., & Weitzer, R. (2003). New Directions in Social Disorganization Theory. Journal
of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 40(4), 374–402.
Piliavin, I., & Briar, S. (1964). Police Encounters With Juveniles. American Journal of
Sociology, 70(2), 206–214.
Pyrooz, D. C., & Sweeten, G. (2015). Gang Membership Between Ages 5 and 17 Years in the
United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 1–6.
Sheley, J., Zhang, J., Brody, C., & Wright, J. (1995). Gang Organization, Gang Criminal Activity,
and Individual Gang Members' Criminal Behavior. Social Science
Thompkins, D. E. (2000). School Violence: Gangs and a Culture of Fear. The Annals of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science, 567(1), 54–71.
Annotated Bibliography
The article titled, Validating Self-Nomination in Gang Research, assesses the self-nomination
method of identifying youth gang members. Research studies show that the self-nomintation
method has produced understanding into gang related behaviors and processes. On the reverse of
self-nomination, researchers take into consideration gang members who claime they have left the
gang. While some individuals say they have left the gang, it’s not as easy as it may sound.
Leaving the gang is not just the opposite of joining the gang. Actions and behaviors must also
reflect disassociating from the gang. The article states that often times individuals jump back and
forth between gang membership and non-gang membership. The findings of the study concluded
that there are implications regarding response to gangs. The main point being it is critical for
prevention, intervention, and suppression porogrms to utilize their resources effectively, as
resources are often limited. Specifically, intervention professionals should use their resources on
those who need the resources most, not on individuals who were not in a gang, or who have
disengaged from gang life.
In Chapter four of the book, “Gang Membership,” the authors discuss youth violence and the
prevalence of gang membership amongst youth. Also discussed are the differing opinions of
what criteria must be met to be considered a youth gang member. Most researchers utlilze
Klein’s definition that states a gang is any adolescent group of individuals who perceived as a
distict aggregataion by others in their nehgihborhood, go by a specific group or organization
name, and are involved in acts of juvenile delinquency, creating a negative impact on
communities. Additionally this article addresses gaps in reporting. Some agencies do not report
statistcis related to gang acitivity due to politics and the stigma of gangs in the communities.
Lack of reporting becomes an issue for communities who hope to address the gang problem due
to insufficient allocation of prevention resources. Insufficient resources then create a hardship for
communtiies seeking to rehabilitate juvenile gang members.
Small Town Gangs is a study that researched small town gangs and ultimately compared them
to larger city gangs. The results yielded that small town gangs are more similar than different to
larger gangs. One similarity is that both smaller and larger gangs participate in criminal activity,
such as petty theft and assaults and ranging to more violent crimes, such as rape and murder.
Another similarity is the hierarchy structure of the gangs, consisting of leaders, members,
prospective members, and hang-arounds. Both small and large gangs also have initiation rituals,
stylized dress and symbols, and failing in school, jobs, and social aspects.
In the journal article, Police Encounters with Juveniles, the authors address officers working in
the Juvenile Bureau. Many officers in this bureau do not believe that correctional facilities
effectively help juvenile delinquents and thus believe correctional facilities lack appropriate
rehabilitiation techniques. All of the officers in the Bureau strongly believed the juvenile justice
and correctional processes were mainly concerned with apprehension and punishment, rather
than rehabilitiaton and treatment. Due to this attitude, officers assigned to this Bureau preferred
the ability to chose a juvenile’s disposition in the field. However, the study showed that
juveniles who received their disposition in the field were subject to prejudices and judgments
made by the officer. The officer’s didn’t have a long of information about the juvenile other than
the current
offense and any previous offenses or information collected at a prior encounter. African
American males were more likely to receive a more severe disposition due to these officer
freedoms, which created a social judgment of the juvenile.
Gang Organization, Gang Criminal Activity, and Individual Gang Members’ Criminal Behavior
provided scholarly information about criminal activities amongst gangs. Gangs are defined by a
group who engages in criminal activity. Many gangs run almost like a business when it comes to
drug distribution and targeted violence. Drug distribution is the most organizated of many illicit
activities in which gang members participate. This article states that inner-city gang members
are more heavily involved in these activities than non-gang members who engage in drug sales.
The article also discuesses selective recruitment of juveniles who have similar backgrounds and
who seek to maintain their background through rite of passage, cultivated loyalty to the gang and
its traditions, and subservience to a chain of command. One of the findings of this study is that
gangs more likely than not are relatively specialized in their regularly committed offenses.
Individual gang members’ behaviors are highly assocated with their gang’s criminal profile.
Lastly, this study found that a gang to juveniles is more significant than just the name, but rather
the gang serves as protection and socialization.
Thompkins’ article, School Violence: Gangs and a Culture of Fear, provides the reader with
background information regarding youth and gangs. The article also mentions statistics from the
Department of Justice as to how many juvenile gangs are throughout the United States.
Thompkins addresses common reasons juveniles might join gangs including the theory of social
disorganization from transitional neighborhoods and ethnic conflict, the status of frustration and
being a lower-class child in a middle-class educational system, and the system not providing
equal opportunities. The article also provides conditions in which gangs emerge, to include areas
of economic decline, absent positive role models, community networks, and stable families.
Conditions such as those previously listed fill the void where family, community, and social
acceptance would typically be. Many schools have security due to the influx of violence in the
nation and within schools. In the schools where organized gangs exist, the message of security
and distrust increases the power of gangs because gang members can play on fears of students
and teacher. This is a tactic for recruitment, extortion, and bribery, amongst other crimes.
The above sources provide excellent background information regarding juveniles and their
participation in gangs. The sources selected provided information from different environments
such as neighborhoods, towns, schools. It’s important for the reader to understand what a gang
is and how gang members are identified by law enforcement. It’s also important to acknowledge
the prejudices and stereotypes placed on juveniles, especially African American male juveniles.
Not only do gangs operate in neighborhoods, but gang operations trickle into the school system,
whether for recruitment, illicit drug activity, or utilizing fear of students, teachers, and staff
members to carry-out acts of bribery or extortion. The most crucial source is Thompkins’ article
regarding gangs and school violence. He addresses reasons juveniles might join gangs.
