Deck 3: Defining Gangs and Gang Members

Question 1

Who of the following applies the term "gang" most narrowly?

A) concerned citizens
B) media broadcasters
C) police in large cities
D) police in small cities

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following carries similarities to a gang, yet has little in common with ordinary street gangs?

A) security threat group
B) starter gang
C) gang nations
D) extremist groups

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which group is responsible for the majority of gang-related crimes?

A) starter gangs
B) youth/street gangs
C) motorcycle gangs
D) prison gangs

Answer 3

B

Question 4

First articulated by Thrasher in 1927, ______ has been confirmed over time by researchers to be the most significant component of gang definitions.

A) conflict
B) meeting face-to-face
C) internal structure
D) solidarity

Question 5

According to the text, most youth who join gangs do so during ______.

A) elementary school
B) middle school
C) high school
D) college

Question 6

Which of the following research methodologies has been found best for understanding the structure of gangs and their membership?

A) ethnographic field observations
B) focus groups
C) network analyses
D) multivariate regressions

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a component of the "Freemont Hustlers" gang?

A) The gang was boys only.
B) Members involved did not talk about the gang's structure.
C) They had no set leader.
D) There was no written set of rules.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT an example of a typical crime committed by a "street gang?"

A) a double murder
B) engaging in a tagging battle
C) a car-jacking
D) trafficking of illegal firearms

Question 9

Which of the following does NOT characterize a barrio-territorial gang?

A) It operates in tandem with an adult gang.
B) It does not have a centralized organizational structure.
C) Criminal activities are individual-based, not group-based.
D) Its members tend to be younger than other gang groups.

Question 10

All of the following are components of R. M. Gordon's (1994) age-graded continuum of social and criminal groups EXCEPT ______.

A) "childhood playgroups" are harmless
B) "youth/street gangs" commit more serious crimes than "delinquent groups"
C) "delinquent groups" are synonymous with "youth subculture groups"
D) "taggers" are often mistaken for gang members

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a criteria for designating a group as a transnational gang?

A) The gang must operate in more than one country.
B) The gang's criminal activity is unorganized and unsophisticated.
C) The gang may plan an offense in one country and commit it in another.
D) The gang is able to adapt to new areas.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT an example of a difference between "adult-dependent" and "non-adult-dependent" gangs that Valdez (2003) studied?

A) Marijuana dealing is the primary business for "adult-dependent" gangs, whereas heroin dealing is the primary business for "non-adult-dependent" gangs.
B) "Adult-dependent" gangs are more likely than "non-adult-dependent" gangs to engage in business-related violence.
C) "Adult-dependent" gangs are less likely than "non-adult-dependent" gangs to be territorial.
D) "Non-adult-dependent" gangs have a more fluid leadership structure than "adult-dependent" gangs.

Question 13

All of the following are common components of the process by which "subcultures" develop EXCEPT ______.

A) the convergence of two local cultures
B) unsuccessful assimilation
C) close physical contact
D) incomplete adaptation

Question 14

The name "cholo" implies that Mexican American youth felt ______ in the context of developing a subculture.

A) cool
B) angry
C) alone
D) rich

Question 15

Gangs of which ethnicity in the Southwest are especially known for their unique subculture?

A) Vietnamese
B) Dominican
C) Filipino
D) Mexican

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a motive specific to gangs in their use of graffiti?

A) to honor the slain
B) insulting or challenging another gang
C) defiance of authority
D) to claim territorial dominance

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a reason that graffiti is often called the "gangland's newspaper?"

A) It does not reveal information about the gang's allegiances.
B) It denotes the gang's boundaries.
C) It displays the gang's symbols.
D) It conveys the gang's identity.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a key element of gang definitions?

A) continuous association
B) leadership
C) shared identity
D) any criminal behavior

Question 19

Which of the following is another name for a gang member who associates with a gang but may never formally join?

A) organized gang member
B) affiliate
C) peripheral gang member
D) delinquent

Question 20

Compared to self-report survey data, law enforcement surveys typically ______ the true number of girls involved in gangs.

A) correctly estimate
B) underestimate
C) do not estimate
D) overestimate

Question 21

Which type of gang is least likely to develop into a long-running (10+ years) organization?

A) youth/street gangs
B) youth subculture groups
C) gang nations
D) starter gangs

Question 22

Which of the following are NOT examples of a behavior that the federal government would define as a "gang crime"?

A) A gang member whose last felony assault arrest was 3 years ago.
B) A gang member who has had three consecutive misdemeanor marijuana possession arrests in the last 5 years.
C) A gang member who has been arrested on felony cocaine charges with a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
D) A gang member who has been arrested on a felony cocaine charge with a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison.

Question 23

Which of the following are names of 18th Street cliques, or "klikas?"

A) Pico Gardens
B) Continentals
C) Sinners
D) Freemont Hustlers

Question 24

Which of the following are "signposts" that signal a delinquent youth group is heading toward becoming a gang?

A) commitment to a criminal orientation
B) a willingness to engage in violence
C) a collective mindset towards criminal behavior
D) a member's completion of an initiation ritual

Question 25

According to the text, which are the primary objectives for gang typologies and assessments?

A) identifying violent gangs
B) collecting and organizing data
C) comparing gang problems across jurisdictions
D) insight to influence intervention strategies

Question 26

Which of the following are examples of crimes that would most likely be committed by "transitional" gang members in Valdez's study?

A) a gang rape
B) stealing a smart phone from a pedestrian
C) selling crack cocaine
D) trafficking cocaine across state lines

Question 27

Thrasher (1927) is the first scholar attributed with defining "gangs."

Question 28

It is more common for state law to define "gang members" than "gangs."

Question 29

Starter gangs tend to form among aggressive and alienated children.

Question 30

"Neotraditional" gangs commit a small range of offenses and have few members.

Question 31

Age-graded cliques are a fundamental element of gangs.

Question 32

Strictly speaking, both the 18th Street and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gangs meet criteria to be considered transnational gangs.

Question 33

In cities, about 10% of identified gangs had been in existence for over 11 years.

Question 34

Gang typologies are simple to formulate, as the structure, membership, and behavior of gangs is relatively similar.

Question 35

The U.S. annexation of Mexican land was a precipitating factor in the development of the "cholo" subculture.

Question 36

Emerging or transitory gangs are more likely to commit criminal acts and threaten public safety than more organized groups.

Question 37

Every state that defines a gang includes a minimum membership of five or more persons in the gang.

Question 38

Many challenges to the Eurogang Network definition of "gangs" take issue with its broad definition that tends to overclassify large segments of the youth population.

Question 39

Name and describe a reason why gangs use graffiti. Explain how this reason exemplifies why gang graffiti is often called the "gangland's newspaper."

Question 40

What makes gangs so hard to define and categorize? Compare and contrast at least two definitions presented in the chapter. Indicate which you believe is the most accurate definition, and explain why.

Question 41

How has the association between race/ethnicity and gang membership changed over time? Discuss contemporary findings relating to myths about race/ethnicity and gang members.