U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

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

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.

February 2002 #03
PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/OJJDP

PERMIT NO. G–91

S. Department of Justice U.

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

shington, DC 20531 Wa

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

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. Eightytwo 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.

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/.

Arlen Egley, Jr., is a Research Associate with NYGC, which is

operated for OJJDP by the Institute for Intergovernmental Research

in Tallahassee, FL.

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.

FS–200203

FS–200203 act Sheet F