Juvenile Gangs: A Cross-Cultural Literature Review

Introduction

Gangs have been a persistent problem for citizens of the United States, and as a result they have occupied a prominent place in American criminological literature. Gang wars between the Crips and the Bloods in Los Angeles stand as testament to the entrenched gang culture within certain communities in the United States. In contrast to Dutch youth, who engage with gangster rap primarily through music videos and compact discs — drawn to the romance of the West Side Story aesthetic — American juveniles appear to have more direct and negative associations with gang culture (Klein, 2001). The language of young people perceived to be involved in juvenile gang activities is characterized by hyperbole and frequent references to competition and violence. The youth style personified by rappers like Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., who spoke candidly about life in their neighborhoods, was directly connected to the world of juvenile gangs. This paper reviews literature on criminal gangs drawn from credible peer-reviewed academic sources.

Structural Analysis of Juvenile Gangs in Paris

Monod (1967), while conducting a structural analysis of juvenile gangs in Paris, argued that juvenile gangs were a normal social phenomenon with particular historical significance. Monod contended that juvenile subcultures, rather than being purely pathological, represented a form of cultural diversity in a world increasingly grappling with uniformization. This diversity was expressed in Parisian gangs through a number of complementary and opposing variants that defined the juveniles' relationships with their environment, broader society, the past, an uncertain future, and one another.

Monod attributes the evolution of Parisian gangs in part to a shared stylistic heritage influenced by certain American films. The youths were caught between integrating positive tendencies, negative tendencies, and tendencies toward disintegration. These Parisian delinquent gangs maintained their identity by reinforcing conflicts that set them against the legitimating norms of mainstream society. Official teenage culture was regarded by these youths as a positive tendency, while juvenile delinquency itself was considered a negative one.

Delinquent Gangs in Cross-Cultural Perspective: Córdoba, Argentina

Defleur (1967), in a study of delinquent gangs in a cross-cultural setting, interviewed sixty-three hardcore juvenile offenders about the nature and characteristics of their gangs in Córdoba, Argentina. The gangs had no established leaders, and membership was open to any boy who expressed interest in joining and demonstrated willingness to participate in the gang's activities. The gangs supported deviant activities, used their own argots, showed strong interest in sports, and fought with boys from other neighborhoods.

The juvenile offenders also engaged in law-breaking activities such as theft. Stolen items were either used directly or sold, with proceeds spent on drinks, movies, and socializing — a pattern often referred to as instrumental-theft subculture. Relative to American delinquent subcultures, Córdoba's juvenile gangs showed greater restraint regarding vandalism or theft for non-utilitarian reasons. These gangs also had minimal contact with adult criminals. Members of rival gangs were sworn enemies who fought persistently, and conflict among them never ceased. Notably, the Córdoba delinquent gangs had no history of drug use. Indeed, the theoretical formulations developed by American scholars of juvenile delinquency did not appear to apply readily to them.

Conclusion

Gang activities have been witnessed in the United States from time immemorial. Their influence has not only shaped the lives of Americans but has spread to countries like the Netherlands and France, where Dutch and Parisian youths have been drawn to juvenile gang culture through exposure to American films with gangster themes. The juvenile gangs of Córdoba, Argentina, share many characteristics with their American counterparts but differ notably in their abstention from drug use. Juvenile criminal behavior is shaped by a host of factors, among the most significant being the presence of a gang-affiliated family member and the structure of the household.

Effective mechanisms for curbing juvenile gang activity include strengthening the family unit and supporting core social institutions such as schools and religious communities. Addressing these foundational social factors remains central to any meaningful strategy for reducing youth gang involvement.

Defleur, L. B. (1967). Delinquent gangs in cross-cultural perspective: The case of Cordoba. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 4(1), 132–141.

Flores, J. R. (2006). Juvenile offenders and victims: 2006 national report. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED495786.pdf

Klein, M. (2001). The Eurogang paradox: Street gangs and youth groups in the U.S. and Europe. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Loeber, R., & Farrington, D. P. (1998). Risk factors and successful interventions for serious and violent juvenile offenders. Studies on Crime and Crime Prevention Biannual Review, 7(1), 7–30.

Monod, J. (1967). Juvenile gangs in Paris: Toward a structural analysis. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 4(1), 142–165.