Situations of violence in the lives of girl gang members

Abstract

Women and violence has become a topic of increasing concern. Women's involvement in perpetrating violence, especially girl gang members, also has raised national concern. The participation of young women in gangs and gang violence has caused public consternation as they are perceived to be violating traditional notions of femininity. In spite of this increased concern and burgeoning literature, significant gaps still exist in our understanding of the role of young women in gangs, the nature and extent of female gang members' victimization, and the extent of their involvement in perpetrating violence. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of violence in the lives of female gang members. The analysis draws from the qualitative and quantitative data of an ongoing comparative study on ethnic youth gangs in the San Francisco Bay Area. The analysis is organized around the situations of violence these young women face from early childhood within the family setting to their current status within the gang and on the streets.