|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
||
| Library: Delinquency | |||||
Teenage Girls Buying into Gang
Violence |
|||||
| Document Author: Christian E. Molidor of
the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work Reprinted From: Social Work, a journal of the National Association of Social Workers 5/96 Date Posted: 8/96 |
|||||
| Teenage Girls Buying into Gang
Violence, Study Shows Young Women Seek Affinity in Gang Ethos; But Threat of Violence,
Abuse Remains. Female gang members have turned more violent and dangerous, according to a study in the May issue of Social Work, a journal of the National Association of Social Workers. The study, "Female Gang Members: A Profile of Aggression and Victimization," by Christian E. Molidor of the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work, includes raw first-person accounts of gang life, based on interviews with 15 female gang members, ages 13-17, at a residential treatment facility in Texas. The young women, of various races, belonged to several gangs in Texas and New Mexico. All had been arrested 1 to 6 times for criminal activities. A majority carried knives to school on a daily basis, and said they had easy access to a gun, the study said. "Hey, school's a dangerous place. You gotta do what ya gotta do -- fist, blade, or pop [gun]," a 15-year-old gang member said. "To view these young women as victims is justifiable," said the study, citing dysfunctional families, physical and sexual abuse since early childhood, cycles of poverty, substandard schools, and abuse by their own gangs. "However, to view these young women only as victims is not accurate. Although the literature portrays female gang members as little more than sex objects, the role of teenage girls in gangs is evolving. They now are the perpetrators of serious crimes." Interviews cover the girl's reasons for joining gangs, their own criminal behavior, and abuse by other gang members. Initiation into a gang could include being beaten and kicked by gang members, participating in a robbery of drive by shooting, getting tattoos, having to fight 5 to 12 gang members at once, or having sex with multiple male gang members, the study said. "Some [of her gang members] just used their fists or were kicking me, but I remember that one homeboy had on brass knuckles that broke my nose, and this one girl hit me with a stick," a 13-year-old said of her initiation. Young women join gangs for the sense of "belonging to a family" and power, protection and respect -- based on fear the gang inspires in others, the study said. "They're afraid of our gang [the Black Widows], and because I'm in the gang, people show me respect and won't mess with me. I like that feeling of power," a 16-year-old is quoted as saying. But the downside to gang membership included fear and paranoia, the study said. The young women talked of watching their backside, knowing they might be shot, stabbed, or beaten by a rival gang at any moment. "I was just walking to the store with my little bro'," said a 14-year-old girl. "He's only nine. Then out from the alley comes a car filled with about five of six gangsters. I'd never seen any of them. Two of them took a shot at me as they drove by. Neither of us was hit, but my bro' got scratched up pretty bad 'cause I pushed him down so hard to get out of the way." Female gang members also feared violence and sexual abuse from members of their own gang, the study said. a 16-year-old told the interviewer of having to dance scantily clad on tables, make Playboy-type videos, perform oral sex in front of other gang members, and have sexual intercourse on demand. Asked if it was humiliating, she replied: "It is, but it comes with the show." The study cites statistics showing a 50 percent increase in serious crimes by teenage girls between 1968 and 1974, compared to a 10 percent increase for boys. Arrests of girls under 18 for violent crimes rose 393 percent between 1960 and 1978, compared to 82 percent for boys. The study urges schools to develop programs (sports, arts, other activities) that can provide the sense of belonging that some teenage girls otherwise seek in gangs. It also calls for violence prevention efforts in the public schools, outreach programs in the community to aid troubled families of gang members, restrictions on the availability of weapons, and more effective ways to identify victims of physical and sexual abuse. In addition, gang prevention programs for girls need to start before high school, the study noted. "If the majority of hard core gang members begin associating with gangs at age 11 and drop out of school by the 10th grade, then programs must target elementary and middle-school students."
|
