ABSTRACT
One might initially believe that a gang is a gang is a gang, no matter whether the setting is rural, urban, suburban, or inner city. One might also assume that a gang is a gang is a gang if it is composed of poverty-stricken adolescents from families that have a history of conflicts with law enforcement and not youngsters from affluent, gated communities. In reality, all might be labeled a gang, but there is a vast difference in the culture of traditional gangs (e.g., inner-city street or rural drug-associated) and
Preppie Gangs
, that latter of which are composed of teens from rich, gated communities or upper-middleclass backgrounds. Although law enforcement and community agencies often regard traditional gangs as security threats, most do not classify Preppie Gangs as such, which is extremely erroneous and very symbolic of how deceptively rich Preppie Gangs
can present themselves within a community.
