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Youth Gangs and Youth Violence: Charting the Key Dimensions

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 17:47 authored by Robert WhiteRobert White, Ronald MasonRonald Mason
This article examines issues surrounding the relationship between youth gangs and violent behaviour by considering the complex definitional and methodological problems surrounding these matters. By drawing upon a recent survey of school students in Perth, Western Australia, it highlights the importance of and need for developing increasingly sophisticated ways of interpreting youth group formations and group activities. For example, a distinction can be made between gangs and gang-related behaviour. The importance of gang membership and nongang membership in shaping social behaviour also needs to be acknowledged. We argue that most teenagers appear to engage in very similar types of activities, including violence. However, the intensity and dynamics of this behaviour varies greatly depending upon the type of group membership in question.Typologies are presented to show the differences in antisocial behaviour depending upon gang or non-gang membership

History

Publication title

The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology

Volume

39

Issue

1

Pagination

54-70

ISSN

0004-8658

Department/School

School of Social Sciences

Publisher

Australian Academic Press

Publication status

  • Published

Place of publication

Bowen Hills, Queensland

Rights statement

Copyright © 2006 Australian Academic Press

Socio-economic Objectives

230499 Justice and the law not elsewhere classified

UN Sustainable Development Goals

16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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