Longitudinal perspectives on adolescent street gangs

Abstract

Street gangs have been of primary concern to the public, policy makers, and criminologists for well over a century. There is a very good reason for such concern: gang members contribute disproportionately to the overall level of crime, especially violent and serious offenses (Battin-Pearson, Thornberry, Hawkins, & Krohn, 1998; Curry, 2000; Curry, Ball, & Decker, 1996; Hill, Hawkins, Catalano, Maguin, & Kosterman, 1995; Howell, 2000; Huff, 1996; Klein & Maxson, 2006; Miller, 1975; Thornberry, Krohn, Lizotte, & Chard-Wierschem, 1993; Thornberry, Krohn, Lizotte, Smith, & Tobin, 2003; Thrasher, 1927). © 2008 Springer-Verlag New York.