Title: National Youth Gang Survey Trends From 1996 to 2000

Series: Fact Sheet

Author: Arlen Egley, Jr.

Published: February 2002

Subject: Gangs; Juvenile violence; Juvenile justice general

4 pages

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National Youth Gang Survey Trends From 1996 to 2000

by Arlen Egley, Jr.

This Fact Sheet highlights findings from the five National Youth Gang Surveys
conducted annually since 1996 by the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC).
NYGC is funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
(OJJDP). The nationally representative sample of 3,018 law enforcement
agencies includes (1) all police and sheriff's departments serving suburban
counties and cities with populations of more than 25,000 and (2) a randomly
selected sample of police and sheriff's departments serving rural counties and
cities with populations between 2,500 and 25,000. Survey respondents were
asked to report information only for youth gangs, defined as "a group of youths
or young adults in your jurisdiction that you or other responsible persons in your
agency or community are willing to identify or classify as a 'gang.' " Motorcycle
gangs, hate or ideology groups, prison gangs, and adult gangs were excluded
from the survey. Annual response rates ranged from 84 to 92 percent during
the survey years of 1996 to 2000.



Patterns of Gang Activity

The proportion of respondents that reported youth gangs in their jurisdiction
decreased over the survey years, from 53 percent in 1996 to 40 percent in
2000.

Between 1996 and 2000, NYGC researchers observed three patterns:
persistent, transitory, and a total absence of gang activity. In cities with a
population of more than 250,000, all respondents reported persistent gang
activity from 1996 to 2000. Eighty-six percent of cities with a population
between 100,000 and 250,000 and 61 percent of cities with a population
between 50,000 and 100,000 reported persistent gang activity over the survey
years, whereas only 6 percent and 9 percent, respectively, reported a total
absence of gang activity. In cities with a population between 25,000 and
50,000, 38 percent of respondents reported persistent gang activity, 41 percent
reported transitory gang activity, and 21 percent reported a total absence of
gang activity.

In suburban counties with a population of more than 100,000, 61 percent of
respondents reported persistent gang activity and 9 percent reported a total
absence of gang activity from 1996 to 2000. Law enforcement agencies serving
smaller cities (i.e., with a population of less than 25,000) and rural counties
were less likely to report persistent gang activity during the survey years. In
smaller cities, 13 percent of respondents reported persistent gang activity and
48 percent reported a total absence of gang activity. Rural counties reported 7
percent and 60 percent, respectively.

Numbers of Gangs and Gang Members

NYGC researchers estimate that more than 24,500 gangs were active in the
United States in 2000, a decline of 5 percent from 1999. However, cities with
a population of more than 25,000 experienced a slight increase (up 1 percent
from 1999) in the number of gangs. The estimated 12,850 gangs in these cities
equals the 1996 estimate, the largest number reported during the survey years.

The overall estimate of gang members across the United States has exceeded
750,000 in all survey years. NYGC researchers estimate that more than
772,500 gang members were active in the United States in 2000, a decline of 8
percent from 1999. Nevertheless, cities with a population of more than 25,000,
which accounted for 66 percent of all gang members in 2000, experienced an
increase (up 2 percent from 1999) in the number of gang members. The
estimated 509,500 gang members in these cities were the most reported since
1996.

Gang-Related Homicides

A total of 284 cities with both a population of more than 25,000 and persistent
gang activity reported gang homicide statistics for 1999 and 2000. Ninety-one
percent of cities with a population of more than 250,000 reported at least one
gang-related homicide from 1999 to 2000, as did 64 percent of cities with a
population between 100,000 and 250,000, 55 percent of cities with a
population between 50,000 and 100,000, and 32 percent of cities with a
population between 25,000 and 50,000. Among those cities with one or more
gang homicides, 47 percent reported an increase and 42 percent reported a
decrease in the number of gang homicides from 1999 to 2000.

Demographics of Gangs and Gang Members

In 2000, respondents reported that 94 percent of gang members were male
and 6 percent were female. Respondents also indicated that 39 percent of all
youth gangs had female members. Eighty-two percent of respondents reported
that none of the gangs in their jurisdictions were predominantly composed of
females and, overall, only 2 percent of gangs were identified as predominantly
female. These numbers are comparable to those reported in 1998.

Age and race/ethnicity of gang members were measured in the 1996, 1998,
and 1999 surveys. In 1996, respondents reported that 50 percent of gang
members were juveniles (i.e., younger than 18) and 50 percent were adults
(i.e., 18 and older). In 1999, these numbers were 37 percent and 63 percent,
respectively. In 1999, respondents reported that 47 percent of gang members
were Hispanic, 31 percent African American, 13 percent white, 7 percent
Asian, and 2 percent "other." The distribution of race/ethnicity of gang members
varied little across measurement years.

Summary

Analysis of the National Youth Gang Surveys from 1996 to 2000 indicates that
the Nation's youth gang problem continues to affect a large number of
jurisdictions and has been most persistent in the largest cities. All cities with a
population of more than 250,000 and 86 percent of cities with a population
between 100,000 and 250,000 reported persistent gang activity from 1996 to
2000, and the prevalence of gang-related homicides was highest in cities of
these sizes. Additionally, the estimated number of gangs and gang members in
larger cities (i.e., with a population of more than 25,000) has remained virtually
unchanged, counter to the overall decline of gangs and gang members over the
survey years. Forty-seven percent of these larger cities with persistent gang
problems reported an increase in gang-related homicides from 1999 to 2000.
The persistence of both gang activity nationwide and the violence associated
with it calls for continued efforts to reduce and prevent gang involvement.

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For Further Information

Extensive analysis of the 2000 survey and the 1999 and forthcoming 2001
surveys will be combined in a comprehensive report examining trends related to
youth gangs. For additional information about youth gangs, call the Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) Juvenile Justice
Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 or contact NYGC at 800-446-0912 or
www.iir.com/nygc/.

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Arlen Egley, Jr., is a Research Associate with NYGC, which is operated for
OJJDP by the Institute for Intergovernmental Research in Tallahassee, FL.

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The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component 
of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice
Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, 
and the Office for Victims of Crime.

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