ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how gang researchers have pursued the research agenda on group processes set by J. F. Short and F. L. Strodtbeck. It reviews advances in three areas of research: theoretical and empirical work on group-level characteristics of gangs, studies of gangs as part of a large set of peer groups, and work on gangs at the interactional level. The chapter discusses delinquency interventions designed to reduce gang violence by targeting groups, known as gang activity regulation strategies. F. M. Thrasher argues that while gangs do not cause crime, they significantly facilitate youth delinquency by providing a setting where delinquency is encouraged and reinforced through group influences. A growing body of gang literature examining the gang at the group level investigates the mechanisms linking attributes of the group to the behaviour of its members. Social identity theory offers a lens through which to examine the group processes of gangs.
