ABSTRACT
Research on gangs routinely finds these groups are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violence, especially in urban contexts. Field-based research, however, demonstrates that conflict within and between gangs is routinely settled in non-violent ways. Macro-level and individual-level theories of crime do little to explain when and under what circumstances conflicts will escalate to violence. The current chapter begins with an overview of theories of gang behavior. It then reviews the pioneering work of Jim Short, which revealed how status management concerns are an influential source of violent acts among gang-involved youth. Next, the chapter discusses how status management concerns influence the situations within which violence is most likely to occur. Namely, because some groups value toughness and aggression as a means of achieving a respected social status, violence is most likely to occur in situations in which an individual’s status in such a group is threatened. The chapter then discusses later ethnographic and quantitative research on groups and violence that was informed by Jim’s status management perspective. The role of status threats as motives for violence and their salience within local groups continue to inform criminological research on interpersonal violence.
