Youth gangs are generally believed to have first appeared in Western Europe or Mexico. The reason for the emergence of gangs in the United States is uncertain, as is the exact date. The earliest recorded incidence of youth gangs dates back to 1783 or towards the end of American Revolution. Social upheaval, displaced families, and a new economy may have caused this birth of a new sub-culture taking form. Youth gangs may have emerged spontaneously from pre-teen social groups or as a response to the industrialization of American culture (Block, 1996). Another theory is that youth ga

Although indistinguishable to the outside viewer, each gang is separate and distinct within themselves. An untrained eye may see a group of youths at a local mall complete with the associated dress and mannerisms of gang members and immediately label them as a gang. In reality they may just be a loosely organized band of delinquents or merely a group of kids out on a Saturday afternoon at the mall. An organized gang bases their existence on a particular commonality. Some basis are age, sex, cultural background, neighborhood, belief in a particular way of lifestyle, or a specific behavior. Estimates of gang membership range from a few, four or five, to a few thousand. Due to the fluidity and validity of gang members, an accurate count of members is often impossible to attain (Vigil, 1988). Within the gangs are different types of members. Their are the core members, fringe members, associates and recruits. The core members are the established leaders within the gang along with the initiated members. They provide the leadership, the nature of the gang and determine the level of activity. It is these members who drive the gang in search of a pre-determined goal. The core members are the most involved with delinquent or criminal activity. The fringe members are those who generally have a relationship with the gang but are unwilling to become full-fledged members due to various reasons such as age, social or economic status, marital status or simply an unwillingness to commit to the lifestyle. They may be considered "users" of the gang but more often then not are themselves used. The recruits or "wannabees" are the newest and sometimes, most dangerous members. Not yet fully integrated into the gang, they are easily influenced due to their desire for acceptance. Recruits often perform some of the menial tasks of daily gang life along with many of the more dangerous ones due to their status as expendable. (Taylor, 1989).

Overwhelmingly, males make up the majority of gang members but female membership is on the rise. In 1992, a survey was conducted to find out the extent of females in gangs. Among the law enforcement agencies that responded it was determined that females accounted for nearly 6 percent of gang membership (Curry, 1995). The presence of female gangs are often affiliations of the larger and more organized male versions. Independent female gangs are present and on the rise in numbers, but the majority of females involved with gangs and gang activity are traditionally the affiliated members of male gangs. Females and female gangs are substantially less violent. The crimes committed by females were mostly simple battery or assault. Non-violent or petty crimes were mostly for drug and alcohol use. They may often be used as look-outs or to carry weapons or drugs for the male members. Females also tend to join or associate with gangs at a younger age and leave earlier then the male gang member (Block, 1996).

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2373
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)