ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses distinctive features of gang membership. The psychological literature shows a clear developmental phenomenon relative to how adolescents surround themselves with individuals of similar age and interests. Leadership is another dimension of gangs that can be used to analyze the level of development and nature of the gang. The preoccupation with the disruptive and violent aspects of gangs seems to be related to the fact that these are the features of gang life most often reported by the media and most likely to provoke public concern and even outrage. New personalities are rarely, if ever, the direct result of gang membership. Stable and unrelenting personality traits may explain most internal gang conflicts. To better understand the developmental course of gang membership, it is useful to juxtapose the developmental stages of gang membership against normal developmental processes in adolescence, focusing on the areas of affect, behavior, and cognition.
