Social Disorganization and Gang Homicides in Chicago

• Author: Dennis Mares
• Published date: 01 January 2010
• Date: 01 January 2010
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/1541204009339006
• Subject Matter: Articles

Social Disorganization and Gang

Homicides in Chicago

A Neighborhood Level Comparison of

Disaggregated Homicides

Dennis Mares

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

This study examines gang-motivated homicides in Chicago neighborhoods between 1985 and

1995. Qualitative studies have illustrated that gang-motivated homicides may have different

characteristics than other types of homicides. Particularly at the neighborhood level, gang

homicides have not yet been fully studied, and thus little is known about the interaction

between gang violence and the neighborhoods they operate in. By examining the effects of

social disorganization on both gang-related homicides and other types of homicides—such

as intimate killings and homicides committed during street robberies—this study explores the

relative uniqueness of gang homicides. Results indicate that social disorganization theory

helps explain various types of homicides, including gang homicides. Nonetheless, gang homi-

cides are also different from other types of homicides, justifying more research that looks at

these homicides as a unique type of violence.

Keywords: street gangs; homicide; neighborhood analysis; social disorganization

Introduction

The study of street gangs is critical for the understanding of broader issues of violence

and criminality. Juveniles and young adults do not just commit a disproportionate number

of offenses; they also have an impact on overall trends in crime (Blumstein & Wallman,

2000). Studies of street gangs present us with an even more magnified image on the causes

of youthful offending, as youths combine freely with guns and drugs, while struggling for

social status. From a victimization standpoint, youth gang members are not only more

likely to engage in delinquency and violence but are also more likely to be victimized

by crime (Taylor, Peterson, Esbensen, & Freng, 2007). Unfortunately, little quantitative

research has examined the relation between neighborhoods and gangs, and even fewer

studies have drawn comparisons between gang crimes and other types of crimes (but see

Maxson, Gordon, & Klein, 1985; Tita & Ridgeway, 2007).

Author’s Note: The author would like to express his gratitude to the editor, Dr. Chad Trulson, the anonymous

reviewers, and Scott Decker, for their constructive criticism on earlier versions of this article. Please address

correspondence to Dennis Mares, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

Studies, Box 1455 SIUE, Edwardsville, IL 62026; e-mail: dmares@siue.edu.

Youth Violence and

Juvenile Justice

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To explore the unique dynamics of street gangs, the current study explores gang-related

homicides in Chicago, IL, between 1985 and 1995. Social disorganization theory has pro-

ven to be an effective theory in explaining various forms of violent crimes at the neighbor-

hood level (Avakame, 1998; Browning, 2002; Kubrin & Wadsworth, 2003; Martinez,

Rosenfeld, & Mares, 2008; Miles-Doan, 1998; Parker, 2004). Because gang researchers

often insist that gang-related offenses are unique in some crucial way, it remains to be seen

whether this theory is useful in explaining levels of gang violence in general, and gang

homicides in particular (Maxson et al., 1985; Papachristos & Kirk, 2005). Given the

plethora of neighborhood level studies that have successfully used social disorganization

theory to explain disaggregated types of violence (intimate-, robbery-, drug-related, and

so forth), this study seeks to explore the applicability of social disorganization theory

to explain gang homicides. In particular, this study seeks to understand whether social

disorganization theory is as successful in predicting gang violence (measured by homi-

cides) as it is for other disaggregated forms of violence. Previous neighborhood-level

gang studies have largely failed to examine whether gang homicides are unique. The few

neighborhood-level studies (Papachristos, 2006; Rosenfeld, Bray, & Egley, 1999) that

make comparisons between gang homicides and other types of homicides only compare

gang homicides to broader aggregated homicides (such as nongang, or all youth homi-

cides). This strategy may work well for examining the uniqueness of other forms of homi-

cides, but given the diversity in motives among gang homicides a clearer and more

formalized approach is required to examine whether gang homicides truly are unique. This

study specifically examines gang homicides in comparison to other types of disaggregated

homicides to see whether the study of gang homicides (and by extension gang violence

more broadly) has merits as a unique field of inquiry. As such, the current article contri-

butes to the literature on gang violence and also adds to the growing body of knowledge

on disaggregated homicides.

Gang Violence and Gang Homicides

Arguably, gang violence is difficult to measure. Definitional issues and reporting stan-

dards vary by jurisdiction and make it hard to generalize localized studies. Most studies that

attempt to make predictions about gang violence therefore study gang-related homicides.

This makes sense, because homicides are generally better documented and less likely to

go undetected. What is more, homicide trends often provide a good proxy for measuring

broader patterns of violence, as evidenced by its use in different geographical and temporal

contexts (see Eisner, 2001, 2003; LaFree, 1998; Mares, in press).

Previous research has found that gang homicides appear to be distinct from other types

of homicides, leading one to the belief that these gang homicides ought to be studied as a

separate form of violence, much like intimate violence or violence for pecuniary gain (e.g.

robberies). For example, in a comparison of 700 gang- and nongang-related homicides in

Los Angeles, Maxson et al. (1985, p. 212) find that gang homicides are more likely to occur

in public settings and include multiple offenders. Furthermore, gang homicides are also

more likely to involve strangers, and participants in gang homicides are on average younger

than participants in nongang incidents (Howell, 1999; Maxson et al., 1985, p. 220;). Some

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