ABSTRACT
Despite its long history in American criminology, de ning gangs is a highly controversial matter. So much so that some researchers favor abandoning the concept, or at least limiting its use by criminal justice and social service agencies [Marshall, Webb, and Tilley, 2005; Sullivan, 2006; Bullock and Tilley, 2008]. Such is particularly the case in Europe, where researchers and policymakers have only recently begun to use the term to refer to groups of young delinquents, and where many remain unconvinced of the policy usefulness of the concept. ree main reasons explain such focus on gangs as a driver of policy: (1) the vagueness of the concept; (2) its potential for simplifying, stereotyping, and stigmatizing youth, particularly of ethnic minorities; and (3) the danger of overidenti cation, rei cation, or strengthening of gangs by programs and interventions aimed at dealing with them.
