Deck 2: Myths and Realities of Youth Gangs

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT one of the common myths promoted about gangs?

A) Gangs of the same name are connected.
B) Children are joining gangs at younger and younger ages.
C) Gangs spend most of their time planning and committing crimes.
D) Gangs are key players in firearms trafficking.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following gang activities is NOT an example of the "false coral snake" phenomenon described by Felson (2006)?

A) wearing only red to look like a "Blood"
B) dealing on a street corner
C) flashing a hand sign
D) painting gang graffiti

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following myths promoted in broadcast media would gang members be most likely to promote themselves?

A) Violence is pervasive.
B) Gangs are an urban problem.
C) There is very little diversity in the types of gangs that exist.
D) Gangs are trying to spread throughout the country.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Most gangs do not meet the criteria for organized crime because they are not well ______.

A) structured
B) armed
C) funded
D) diversified

Question 5

Gangs' set spaces are typically ______.

A) larger than neighborhoods
B) the same size as neighborhoods
C) unknown in size
D) smaller than neighborhoods

Question 6

Exceptions to the myth that gangs of the same name are connected are most commonly found among ______ gangs.

A) Black
B) prison
C) transnational
D) female

Question 7

Which of the following phrases reflects the process whereby gangs promote their own myths about their dangerousness?

A) fallacy
B) big gang theory
C) crime reporting wave
D) gang suppression

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a source of gang myths?

A) broadcast media
B) gang members themselves
C) prison officials
D) legislators

Question 9

What is the most common sub-myth of the "gang migration myth?"

A) Gangs migrate to advance firearm trafficking goals.
B) Gangs migrate to set up drug trafficking operations.
C) Gangs migrate to avoid prosecution.
D) Gangs migrate to war with other gangs.

Question 10

The myth of "gang migration" actually occurs, in large part, due to ______.

A) gang members feeling connected to their gangs than their friends and families
B) gang members being interested in establishing transnational criminal networks
C) gang members feeling more connected to their families and friends than their gangs
D) gang members being interested in conducting recruitment efforts away from their home base

Question 11

Which of the following gang myths is hard to prove given the inability to distinguish general immigration patterns from gang membership patterns?

A) Gangs of the same name are connected.
B) Gang members are a new wave of super-predators.
C) Gangs were actively involved in the crack epidemic.
D) The MR-13 and 18th Street gangs are spreading across the United States.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a component of big gang theory?

A) Gangs recruit students in the public school system.
B) Gangs migrate.
C) Gangs are involved in drug trafficking.
D) Gangs are inevitably violent.

Question 13

Which is NOT an example of a characteristic common to drug gangs?

A) adult members
B) a clear leadership structure
C) required loyalty
D) Members have loosely defined roles.

Question 14

Among youth who reported never having been in a gang, the researchers Curry, Decker, and Egely (2002) found that ______ of these youth had reported engaging in some form gang-related behavior.

A) about half
B) most of
C) a handful
D) an unknown amount

Question 15

Which of the following is the most common myth told about gangs in the broadcast media?

A) Gangs, drugs, and violence are inexorably linked.
B) Children are joining gangs at younger and younger ages.
C) Gangs spend most of their time planning and committing crimes.
D) Gangs of the same name are always connected.

Question 16

All of the following accurately reflect the reality of the relationship between an individual's age and the tendency to join a gang, EXCEPT ______.

A) blessed-in children join a gang prior to their 10th birthday
B) thrasher's "child gangs" reflected children's playgroups
C) the gang initiation phase usually takes place between middle school and high school
D) gang membership tends to occur once children experience freedom from their parent's supervision

Question 17

All of the following are characteristic of the term "gang-related" crime, EXCEPT ______.

A) the offense was committed on behalf of a gang
B) the offense involved a gang member
C) the term is more general than "gang-motivated" crime
D) the term encompasses a wide variety of crimes

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an example of an urban myth told about gangs?

A) They mimic or imitate the signs and symbols of larger gangs to seem more menacing.
B) They randomly select victims for their violent acts.
C) They engage in strange initiation rituals.
D) Adult gang members act like pedophiles to stealthily recruit new members.

Question 19

______ exert(s) the greatest influence on an individual's decision to join a gang.

A) Parents
B) Older gang members
C) Peers
D) The broadcast media

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a component of a "crime reporting wave?"

A) gathering data from police departments
B) journalists making bonuses for being the first to report on a crime story
C) repetition of one news outlet's story by another one
D) embellishment of a news story

Question 21

The authors use the term "myths" rather than "fallacy" to describe beliefs about gangs because ______.

A) they are synonyms, and either term is acceptable, but "myths" was chosen to keep the language consistent
B) it is more inclusive
C) there are exceptions to each gang myth
D) "fallacy" is a term reserved for the physical sciences

Question 22

The following reflect traits of gang "shot callers": ______.

A) they are the equivalent of leaders in gangs
B) they reflect the informal division of labor in gangs
C) they are always permanent positions
D) the person in the position may change from one gang activity to the next

Question 23

Which of the following gangs are exceptions to the myth that gangs of the same name are connected?

A) Crips
B) Gangster Disciples
C) 18th Street
D) Mara Salvatrucha

Question 24

Which of the following is a reason it is difficult to assess if gangs--such as the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and 18th Street (M-18)--are actually spreading across the country?

A) The media does not report on the presence of these gangs.
B) It is challenging to parse out gang activity from broader immigration patterns.
C) There is little investigation into the actual presence of these gangs across the country.
D) These gangs are of little concern to law enforcement outside of Los Angeles.

Question 25

Which of the following reflect reasons why children are actually not joining gangs at younger and younger ages?

A) Young children are rarely exposed to gangs.
B) Teenagers and young adults in gangs prefer not to hang out with children.
C) Children do not develop negative stereotypes about law enforcement until later.
D) Most gang members join gangs after getting their first minimum wage job.

Question 26

"Fallacy" is a synonym for "myth."

Question 27

Broadcast media and gang members themselves are the primary sources of myths about gangs.

Question 28

The broadcast media frequently depicts gangs and gang members as ethnically and racially diverse.

Question 29

There is an inverse relationship between gangs' public images and their "set spaces."

Question 30

Gangs are structured similarly to corporations.

Question 31

Law enforcement agencies are not prone to promote myths about gangs.

Question 32

The myth that gang members reflect a new wave of super-predators is one of the most complex gang myths.

Question 33

Street gangs are more likely to be involved in drug distribution and sales than crime syndicates or cartels.

Question 34

Law enforcement personnel attribute the majority of gang violence to gang migration.

Question 35

The bulk of drug-related gang violence is due to fighting over market control of the drug market.

Question 36

What are the key differences between organized crime syndicates and gangs?

Question 37

What is a moral panic, and how is the term related to myths about gangs?

Question 38

Summarize a recent anti-gang piece of legislation or policy that you are familiar with. Evaluate this piece of legislation: To what extent does the policy imply some of the key myths about gangs? How would you strengthen this legislation to more accurately address the reality of gangs and gang activities?