Book Review: Short, J. F., Jr., & Hughes, L. A. (Eds.). (2006). Studying Youth Gangs. New York: AltaMira Press. v, 288 pp

• Published date: 01 September 2009
• Date: 01 September 2009
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0734016808328892
• Subject Matter: Articles

466 Criminal Justice Review

Short, J. F., Jr., & Hughes, L. A. (Eds.). (2006). Studying Youth Gangs. New York: AltaMira

Press. v, 288 pp.

DOI: 10.1177/0734016808328892

Studying Youth Gangs is a compilation of essays by a group of leading sociologists,

criminologists, and other scholars examining the current state of gang research. Through

its expansive collection of research, the book seeks to analyze methodological and theo-

retical issues related to studying youth gangs, and how these approaches might be used to

advance gang research. The book is anchored by five essays previously published in the

May 2005 issue of the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, and is augmented by

additional contributions that focus on topics, such as the complexities and challenges of

studying gangs, empirical research findings and interpretations, and crime and gang control

strategies.

The first three chapters review and analyze existing gang research. The introductory

chapter recounts Short’s experiences at the Youth Studies Program at the University of

Chicago more than 40 years ago. A key insight gained from that experience was the emer-

gence of “the importance of the temporal and spatial contexts” associated with the pro-

cesses of gang formation and identification (p. 4). Yet according to Short, the group process

perspective has not been sufficiently developed by scholars. The second chapter addresses

the problems associated with the manner in which gangs are defined, arguing that the rather

vague description of gangs used by the media, law enforcement, and scholars diverts atten-

tion from the more fundamental problem of youth violence. Consequently, the broad defini-

tion of gangs presents a challenge for those interested in understanding and addressing the

youth gang problem.

The third chapter assesses qualitative and quantitative research approaches used to study

gangs. Hughes asserts that gang research has become “decontextualized” due to the empha-

sis by many researchers on the “variables paradigm,” in which characteristics of gangs,

gang members, and crimes associated with gangs have become the thrust of analyses.

Instead, to understand the processes of youth gangs, greater emphasis should be placed on

the context in which gangs and gang members operate. Hughes also argues that quantitative

and qualitative approaches used to study gangs are often applied in isolation, but by inte-

grating these techniques, a more comprehensive understanding of gangs could be

achieved.

Chapters 4 and 5 examine neighborhood effects on gang behavior using the “quantita-

tive, variables-oriented” approach discussed by Hughes. Using data from the Rochester

Youth Study, chapter 4 confirms that gang membership “facilitates” delinquency, but this

effect does not substantially vary based on neighborhood disadvantage. In contrast, the

authors of chapter 5 examine neighborhood effects of gang-related homicides in Chicago,

finding that neighborhood characteristics, such as collective efficacy, are important factors

in mediating gang-related homicides. The study also provides some important suggestions

for measuring social disorganization among different populations.

The next three chapters address some of the issues of contextualization identified by

Hughes using a specific methodology, social network analysis. This technique is used to

measure the relationships between and among gang members and others. Research findings

in chapter 6 contend that personal and intergroup networks among female gang members