Citation

Esbensen FA, Deschenes EP, Winfree LT. Youth Soc. 1999; 31(1): 27-53.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

During the past decade, a growing body of literature examining gang girls and the involvement of girls in violence has appeared. In this article, we contribute to this developing literature by using data from a Multisite evaluation to explore the extent to which gang girls are similar to or different from gang boys in terms of their attitudes, perceptions of their gangs, and their involvement in "gang-like" illegal activities. Findings indicate that gang girls are involved in a full array of illegal gang activities, although not as frequently as the gang boys. Whereas similarities exist in behavioral activities and in reasons for joining gangs, gang girls report greater social isolation from family and friends than do gang boys. The gang girls also report lower levels of self-esteem than do the boys. These gender differences are discussed in terms of differential developmental trajectories for boys and girls. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Youth and Society, 1999. Copyright © 1999 by SAGE Publications)

Gender Differences
Gender Comparison
Juvenile Gang
Juvenile Female
Juvenile Male
Juvenile Offender
Juvenile Violence
Female Gang
Female Offender
Female Violence
Male Gang
Male Offender
Male Violence
Gang Memebership Causes
Gang Violence
Offender Characteristics
09-02