Gangs : A Reference Handbook » (Revised)

A thoroughly updated look at the world of gangs, charting their growth and development in the United States and worldwide, as well as the efforts to curb their expanding criminal enterprises.

VOYA

This entry in the Contemporary World Issues series is a thorough and scholarly examination of gangs in the United States. Kinnear, author of Violent Children: A Reference Handbook (ABC-CLIO, 1995/VOYA February 1996), provides an authoritative overview of the topic by carefully defining what constitutes a gang; social and racial factors involved; and the makeup and growth of gangs in certain areas. Kinnear gives a brief history of gangs and short biographical sketches of important people who have studied gangs in depth, ranging from popular author Leon Bing to well-known scholar Lewis Yablonsky. Students of sociology will find this section particularly helpful. Statistical information is current as of 1990 and includes national surveys and demographics, along with state laws and federal initiatives enacted to control the gang-related problems. Further information is offered in directories of organizations and detailed lists of printed resources. Non-print resources, such as Internet sites and other on-line data, might be less valuable to students and researchers due to the rate of change inherent in cyberspace. Libraries will find that Gangs complements Gini Sikes's 8 Ball Chicks: A Year in the Violent World of Girl Gangsters (Anchor Books, 1997) and books intended for middle school and junior high students, such as Gail Stewart's Gangs (Lucent, 1997), Ben Sonder's Gangs (Benchmark Books, 1996), and the personal narratives contained in Voices from the Streets: Young Former Gang Members Tell Their Stories (Little, Brown, 1996/VOYA December 1996) . Index. Biblio. Source Notes. Further Reading. Chronology.