How gangs evolved - Dr. Russel talks about his book with KLBJ Radio



<< HEAR Dr. Russell talking about his book on KLBJ Radio, Austin, TX (You will need to have FLASH loaded to hear the audio) CLICK HERE TO ORDER "the way i got jumped in was i had to save larry and do a six penny pickup while they beat me while i tride to pick up the six pennies off the ground Tray and Sackman and Sleepy wrapped their rags around their fists and when my girl called time on the stop watch they hit me in my face and all over and beat my ass for 60 seconds i hit Sackman in the face and ripped out Oteeses ear ring and busted Tray in the jaw they got me in my stomach and chest lots but i didn't fall down then my girl called time and they stopped and all gave me hugs and shook my hand and i felt loved." ...interview with gang youth Prior to the 1960s, most Americans knew that street gangs existed, but considered them to be simply a group of people who associated together, somewhat recreationally, as did the comedic 'Our Gang' and the 'Bowery Boys' as presented in the black and white movie shorts and early television. From America's earliest years, wave after wave of an increasing influx of foreign immigrants poured into the country and settled in crowded urban areas, creating ethnic dissension and increased competition for education, jobs, and a share of the new country's bounty. Uneducated, facing prejudice at every turn, and unable to find social, cultural, or economic success--and lacking access to meaningful employment--many young people found their lives filled with boredom, frustration, hopelessness, and poverty. It is small wonder that many of them ended up on the streets in large numbers, and by the 19th century had formed gangs that specialized in criminal activity and perpetuated themselves through new recruits. By the early 1800's, many of the most vicious adult street gangs had organized along ethnic and political lines. Years of corruption in city government and attendant intensification of urban problems immediately preceding the Civil War contributed to the rapid increase of criminal street gangs that formed in order to protect ethnic neighborhoods. By the early 1990's, gang migration had reached the point that 25% of small communities surveyed reported having gang members enrolled in their schools. There are more than 25,000 gangs with a total of more than 800,000 gang members in the continental United States. California has the most gang members; Texas ranks second, and Illinois is third. Gang membership is especially attractive to young girls with low self-esteem who, having suffered various forms of abuse, neglect, and sexual molestation, can abuse others with impunity and applause from the gang. The role of the girl gangster - the g-male - is changing as more and more gangs proliferate. The female gang associates and members are younger, tougher, and more violent, often exceeding their male gang counterparts. Anxious to prove themselves and their worth to the gangs, female recruits often use extreme violence against victims, other female associates, and on occasion even male gang members. Girls usually start their gang association in the belief that others will "respect" (fear) them for this relationship. However, they soon learn that gang members use girls mainly for sex, as admiring and applauding audiences for male gang members deeds of derring-do, and as 'mules' to carry drugs and weapons. Many female associates become hard-core drug abusers and prostitutes. <<< CLICK ON THE GUNS FOR ANOTHER VIOLENCE FACT Most gang members are not concerned with the implications of their illegal actions; they live in the present, have no goals or future plans beyond the scope of their gang's activities. Additionally, their criminal behavior and defiance of parents, teachers, and society as a whole earn them the approval and respect of their delinquent peers. In the gang they find the success that they could not experience in school.

	DISTURBING CHANGES IN MAJOR INFLUENCES ON AMERICAN TEENAGERS
	1950 -1960 1. Family 2. Church 3. School 4. Peers 5. Media	1990 - 2000 1. Media 2. Peers 3. Family 4. School 5. Church

	(Baggy jeans and the gangbanger look have been adopted by some young people as fashion statements, and do not necessarily mean gangs have arrived at your school.) However, the origin of 'sagging and bagging' was to conceal weapons and drugs, and the style still serves that purpose for gang members. Other signs: Graffiti on buildings, curbs, car washes, street signs, parks, public and school bathrooms Presence of groups of youths affecting gang behavior, dress, and activity Growing citizen complaints of youth groups causing fear and intimidation in the area Rumors of gang activity and fights Fighting between groups of young people Escalation of crimes, especially crimes of violence Senseless violence Growing vandalism, auto thefts, robberies, muggings, break-ins, and burglaries Crimes committed with weapons Increase in drug trafficking and use
	Each street gang develops its own hand signs, a non-verbal system of communication which is used for identification or to challenge, insult, and show disrespect for other gangs and non-gang individuals, particularly law enforcement personnel. Gang graffiti is used by gangs as an informal bulletin board or newsletter to: Communicate and send messages Declare the gang's existence and presence in the community Identify the gang Communicate territorial limits and mark turf to define area claimed by the gang Claim affiliation with other gangs Advertise and glorify the gang and its exploits Issue challenges and announce warnings of future acts and retaliation Show disrespect to enemy gangs
	Younger and younger active members (eight or nine years old) Ethnic and racial crossover in multiethnic neighborhoods Insurgence of female gangs Growth of gangs in suburban communities and rural areas Acquisitions of large sums of money from illegal activities Increased use of drugs and alcohol Use of more organized guerrilla warfare tactics Total disregard for human life Local gangs will continue to evolve from criminal street gangs to organized crime status. All time highs will be reached in gang violence and drug activity. Violence will be carried out with more sophisticated communication, weapons, and procedures. Gangs will utilize the newest and best technology in their activities. Big time gangs will become more business oriented and use more legitimate businesses as fronts for gang activity. Gang membership will increase, particularly during recessions and depressions. Youths will become gang members at younger and younger ages. More members will remain active in their gangs longer than before, well past their twenties and into their forties. Gangs will change their traditional characteristics and indicators to better to better escape detection; new methods will arise. The number and type of racially motivated gangs and hate groups will increase, and they will find new groups to hate and mistreat There will be marked increases in the number of female gangs and the number of female gang associates and members in both all-female and co-ed gangs Gang members will outnumber and out-gun available law enforcement authorities. Street gangs and prison gangs will become more closely aligned and subsequently more powerful both inside prisons and out in the public. Courts and prisons will be overloaded with gang cases; probation and parole officers will be swamped with gang cases. Female gangs will become more common, more independent of male gangs, and more involved in more serious crimes. Gangs growth and gang violence will increase as the drug trade increases. Youth gangs will become more organized and a greater threat to society. Gang members will enter the gang at earlier ages and remain active in gangs longer, with gangs eventually having a higher percentage of adult members. Gangs will become more sophisticated and organized, and will attempt to cover their criminal activities behind the guise of community service or legitimate business corporations. Gangs will become less ethnically pure. Adult prison gang members returning to their communities will create, re-create, or energize local youth into more organized and dangerous gangs. Few communities will have programs that will deal effectively with gangs. Gangs and gang problems will proliferate throughout the United States down to the smallest cities and towns. Gangs will use the latest technology to further their interests; the internet will become a major tool for gang activities, such as drug sales, communicating between and among gangs, setting up gang violence; gangs will move into such enterprises as identity and credit card theft, social security fraud, and check forgery. Gangs will support, elect, and control American politicians, and will use them to protect and further gang activities. Powerful gangs such as MS 13, 18th Street, and Mexican Mafia, will reach new heights in violence and drugs, will cut truces and initiate treaties with and among gangs to form coalitions so powerful that foreign terrorists will seek their cooperation in entering the U.S. illegally, giving them sanctuary in gang neighborhoods, and will assist (and will themselves commit) terrorist acts on American soil. Federal, state, and local agencies will re-activate and create new gang prevention efforts, but will not act in time and with resources sufficient to control the problem, much less eliminate it; those law enforcement efforts will require such massive funding that monies for gang prevention programs aimed at school age children and gang-ridden communities will be transferred to enforcement to the detriment of gang education and prevention; more and younger kids will be deprived of the latter and gang membership will surge dramatically. Gang presence in schools will increase in even rural areas; eventually local law enforcement will assign gang prevention officers to middle schools and high schools.
	AND IT'S COMING YOUR WAY! <<BACK