Gangs and Gang Culture

At the most basic level, gangs refer to a group of people who are part of an organized societal subculture. Race and ethnicity are two of the most common ways to organize gangs, though not every group based on race or ethnicity is a gang. The gang subculture also has an established leadership structure and sees itself controlling a particular area within a community. That control is often taken by force, leading to another common characteristic of gangs and gang culture—crime and violence. There are also other commonalities with in a gang, including colors and/or style of clothing, tattoos, symbols and hand gestures. The proliferation of gangs in the United States has led the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to identify 33,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs that are active within the country. Each gang is representative of a family structure, though not necessarily related by blood.

Initiation rituals to gain entrance into the “family” vary, and in some case, are not required. Common rituals include being “jumped in” or “beaten in,” which involve an individual being beaten for a specific period of time or by a number of members. Another common initiation ritual involves committing a particular crime to prove one’s loyalty to the group. Though most gangs follow a patriarchal system of leadership and membership, those that allow female gang members may subject female members to “sexing in,” which reinforces the patriarchal control within the gang. Female gang members who are “running trains” or “sexing in” not only are submitting to sex with multiple gang members, but are submitting to sex whenever the gang members order it.

Brief History

The National Gang Center reports that although gangs first appeared in the United States in the late-eighteenth century, groups that could be considered gangs were documented in England as early as the twelfth or fourteenth centuries. In the United States, historic examinations of gangs may be split by location. Often, immigration played a major role in creating gangs and establishing a gang culture. For example, immigrants settling in the Northeastern United States had to deal with few jobs and the general overcrowding of cities. The combination of a lack of quality housing with poverty made the era ripe for criminal activity. A similar situation in the West saw gangs grow out immigrants and Mexican youth. A second wave of immigrants from the South included African Americans and later Native Americans.

Street gangs began shortly after the American Revolution; however, the gangs were not like the street gangs known today. Most lacked organization and were comprised of teens and other youths. In the Northeast, fighting typically revolved around who had power in what areas. More sophisticated gangs came about around 1820, with immigrants settling in the Northeast. At this point, gangs became more dangerous, likely because of the poverty, overcrowding, and general chaos the cities were seeing. In the Midwest, Chicago gangs emerged around fire departments and typically saw their often-Irish members engaging in fighting and barroom brawls. In the West, gangs appeared in the late-nineteenth century. Most gangs presumably began in Mexico and moved along the common migration routes from Mexico to Los Angeles. Although gang activity in that area started in the twentieth century, the 1848 Treaty of Hidalgo at the end of the war between the United States and Mexico, is believed to have contributed to the animosity Mexican gang members felt for those in the United States after having to give up a large portion of its land to the United States.

Gang activity among the Midwest Black communities existed minimally in the early-twentieth century. However, the 1920s saw more violent activities in Black communities. Political corruption in cities like Chicago brought out more organized crime, such as famed Italian mobster Al Capone. Similar to gangs in cities like New York, Chicago gangs also responded to overcrowding with violence. Young people, in particular, congregated in the streets and took out their frustrations on rival groups from other areas of the city. In the West, similar events occurred with gangs shifting toward more violence post-1940. In the Northeast, gang activity continued in the 1950s and 1960s and marked a third wave of activity fueled by new Latino and Black populations.

In the 1990s, gang activity became more violent and pitted ethnic and cultural groups against one another. The emergence and growth in the Northeast of gangs like the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, MS-13, and Trinitarios also occurred. At that same time in the Midwest, the Black Gangster Disciple Nation, Latin Disciples, Latin Kings, and the Vice Lords accounted for roughly 70 percent of all gang-motivated crimes in Chicago and 50 percent of gang-related homicides. In the West, cities like Los Angeles saw considerable amounts of racial tension and intimidation in the 1970s, increasing the formation of Black street gangs. A lack of a centralized major city in the Southern part of the United States led to a slower development of gangs in that region. Though gangs existed prior to the 1990s, particularly in areas like Dallas, New Orleans and Miami, the end of the twentieth century showed a marked increase in gangs for that region.

In 2005, the FBI, at the request of the United States Congress, created the National Gang Intelligence Center. The center pulls information on gangs from all levels of government and law enforcement to better combat those gangs that pose the most dangerous threats. The Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force allows all levels of law enforcement to work together to more effectively fight gangs and gang violence. There are 160 Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Forces nationwide.

Overview

Types. There is no one way to classify the types of gangs that exist. Common ways include organizing based on their criminal activity, by their names (national or local), or their location. No one classification system exists. The United States Department of Justice lists three types of violent gangs—motorcycle gangs, prison gangs, and street gangs. Although some may lump organized crime groups in with the category of gangs, the Department of Justice places such groups into their own category.

Motorcycle gangs, specifically outlaw motorcycle gangs, have existed since the 1940s. Although sometimes thought to be more of a lower-level of gang, focusing more on petty or property crimes, they have also been linked to drug and weapons trafficking, as well as violent crimes. The mobility of members makes them ideal players for smuggling and trafficking. Criminal motorcycle gangs are not exclusive to the United States, and include groups like the Bandidos, Hells Angels, Outlaws, Sons of Silence, and Vargos. The American Motorcycle Association has said that motorcycle gangs represent less than 1 percent of the number of motorcycle riders. That mention has caused some groups to publicize their 1 percent status through clothing, etc. More than three hundred outlaw motorcycle gangs exist in the United States.

Prison gangs allow criminals to continue to maintain their participation in crime while behind bars. They also provide a sense of group support and security for those individuals who are in prison. The hierarchal power structure that is common to gangs also exists within prison gangs, affording some inmates a degree or power and relevance while in prison. Inmates may join gangs while in prison and then maintain the relationships established upon their release. The gang itself is not exclusive to existing within a prison system. Some common prison gangs include the Aryan Brotherhood, Black Guerilla Family, Nuestra Familia, and Mexican Mafia. Prison gangs tend to have fewer members than street gangs and are often created based on race or ethnicity.

Street gangs are frequently what come to mind when one thinks of gangs or sees gang activity portrayed on television or in movies. Street gangs exist at local, national, and international levels and are frequently involved in the street-level, drug-running business. Typically known to occupy territories, street gangs may use violence as a means of protection and control. Common gangs include Bloods, Crips, Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings and MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha). The international nature of street gangs make them very effective at drug smuggling. Female gang members may be used as mules when crossing national or state borders.

Structures

The United States Department of Justice defines a gang as, “associations of three or more individuals who adopt a group identity in order to create an atmosphere of fear or intimidation.” Though gangs are commonly formed for violence- and crime-related purposes, gangs may also be created to protect its members or territory from rival gangs. They can be distinguished from other crime organizations because of their visibility and frequent ownership of their actions through open-intimidation, graffiti, gestures and tattoos. From a structural standpoint, gangs can be organized via a hierarchal or pyramid structure. Another approach to gang structure is a more communal or democratic approach.

The hierarchal or pyramid approach is one frequently shown in television and movies. At the top is a president or king who leads the gang. The leaders may be supported by a gang constitution or other set of formalized rules. Beneath the top ruler is a smaller group of mid-level leaders who report directly to the president or king. Finally, at the bottom, are the street soldiers who are charged with maintaining the gang and recruitment. They are the worker bees of the gang. Associates of the gang may also exist throughout the structure. These individuals, often women, are not true members of the gang, but are connected to it because of their relationship to members. New York and Chicago street gangs are known for this structure and the top-down leadership style it represents.

A second gang structure takes a more democratic style toward governance. Commonly found in Los Angeles gangs, this structure is comprised of pockets, cliques or cells that act independently, yet toward a common goal. Each pocket may be led by its own quasi-leader, who is typically charismatic and engaging. However, there is still an underlying leadership structure that exists, even if just for show. In Southern California, at the top of the leadership pyramid sit the senior gang members (veteranos or original gangsters, depending on the gang). This layer is broader than the East Coast structure. Members have the authority to order the lower-level cliques to do anything. However, it is unlikely the request would come as an order, considering the importance and significance of the cliques.

Police magazine reported that no matter what their location, gangs can also be structured according to right and left arms. The right arm is the one most frequently heard of or shown. The right arm is the muscle or fighting are of the gang, protecting members and territory. The right arm can easily be replaced should a member die, go to prison, or leave the gang. The left arm represents the money-makers of the gang. This can be through drug running or identity theft. To fully eradicate a gang, the left arm must be destroyed. Then, the right arm can be attacked.

Membership

There are numerous reasons why someone may wish to join a gang. Gangs can provide an inviting opportunity for young people searching for family or a place to belong. The romantic image of gangs portrayed in films and on television provides a false sense of knowledge as to what being part of such a group entails. Gang life is not all about money, power, respect, and fear. Instead, it can involve a constant “running” from police and never knowing when one’s time is up. Low levels of self-esteem or a lack of self-worth can also lead people to seek refuge in groups with alluring leaders who show them an abundance of interest. Still, others seek safety in gangs or hope for protection from members, particularly in crime-ridden areas. The mid-teen years are the most common times for someone to join a gang, though during earlier teen and pre-teen years children are exposed to the gang culture and lifestyle such that it becomes a goal to achieve as they get older.

Though women are typically not leaders in gang structures and are also in the minority of gang members, they can become actual members of some gangs. Though a sense of belonging is often cited as a reason for joining a gang, women are more likely than men to say they joined a gang to replace an ill-working family structure. A 2016 National Council on Crime and Delinquency study reported that 92 percent of female gang members surveyed admitted to having a family member in jail or prison. Female gang members are also likely to have suffered some sort of physical abuse or trauma at home, a situation that often continues within the gang structure. Although gang life for many women simply perpetuates a cycle of violence, women are also more likely to leave a gang earlier than men, often because of pregnancy.

Whether male or female, membership into gangs traditionally consists of an initiation practice. The initiation practice is much more about establishing control, reputation, and/or bravado. Potential gang members are frequently asked to submit to violent acts or to commit violent acts, ranging from brutal meetings, to rape, to murder. Those who complete the requirements earn a certain degree of respect or social capital within the gang network.

Crime and other activities

The FBI lists drug and gun trafficking, fraud, human trafficking and prostitution, and robbery as the top money-making activities for US gangs. Lower-level gang members serve as the enforcers or the perpetrators for many of the crimes, leaving them vulnerable to blackmail by their own gang leaders, should they attempt to leave. Young women also serve as effective tools for carrying out crimes. Rules of patriarchy, commonly respected in gangs, require the women—however old—to comply with what is told of them. Leaders also rely on the assumption that women will go unnoticed by law enforcement officials. If they are caught and harmed in the process, the women are expendable, with a line of other women eager to take their place with the men. The Homeland Security Investigations National Gang Unit provides support to agencies conducting investigations into gang activities. Of particular interest to ICE are the movements of transnational gangs. In 2018, the agency reported seizing more than 820 firearms and more than 5,500 pounds of narcotics that were heading to US communities. MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, is a key transnational gang on ICE’s radar.

The COVID-19 pandemic that hit in 2020 has been blamed for an increase in homicides across the United States, not only for those involving gangs, but certainly not excluding them. As employees were sent home from work, businesses closed and social services stopped or severely limited seeing clients, Organizations and people who dealt directly with gangs, members and their rivals were no longer available to serve as intermediaries. Homicides plateaued in 2021 and began to slowly decline in some areas.

International

Gangs are in no way exclusive to the United States. Much like the United States has various gangs situated throughout the country, worldwide, countries have their own gangs, with their own rules, structures and activities. There is a misconception that Europe is largely free of gangs. In reality, though the gangs themselves tend to be less violent with their crimes, gangs exist, opting more toward physical fighting. European gangs also tend to be more loosely organized, smaller and less hierarchal. Statistics from 2019 estimate that 34 percent of girls seventeen and under in England are involved in some form of gang. Like in the United States, girls and eventually women, risk falling into a pattern of violence within gangs. They become wifeys (girlfriends) or baby mothers for the male gang members. At the youngest level are links, girls who are use as literal sex objects for individual or multiple gang members.

The transnational gang, MS-13, impacts Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, as well as the United States. Members use intimidation to secure compliance and focus on drug trafficking. In the United States, MS-13 pushes narcotics and threatens Central American neighborhoods, often focusing on the youngest, most vulnerable members in an attempt to coerce them into joining the gang.

Gang activity is prevalent on other continents as well. In Africa, the Numbers Gang is well-known throughout South African prisons. There are three categories within the Numbers Gangs, 26s, 27s, and 28s, each requiring something different from membership. Other gangs include the Americans, Badoo, the Mai-Mai, and the Sexy Boys. African gangs were not necessarily designed for violence, but more so for protection and togetherness. They are thought to have begun as early as the eighteenth century when African people were pushed out of their homelands and into other locations. However, African gangs in 2022 are quite diverse in their purposes, ranging from petty crimes and street violence, to extortion, cattle stealing, weapon trafficking, and physical violence and assaults. Asian street gangs, particularly those involving younger men or teens, exist not only in the United States, but in Asian countries as well. Asian gangs, particularly Chinese gangs, are known for drug trafficking, but overall, are quite diversified in what they do. Asian gangs are male-dominated, but more women are becoming involved to fulfill more subservient roles. Australia’s gang history dates back to colonial times and has continued throughout history. Members commonly engage in drug trafficking and money laundering, as well as volent crimes.

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