1 Los Angeles has over 950 different gangs with more than 100,000 members. One study 3 performed in Chicago showed that 5 percent of elementary school children were affiliated with street gangs, as were 35 percent of high school dropouts. Gangs have upset school systems nationwide, as demonstrated by the now common use of dress codes, metal detectors and security guards. Gangs are not limited to inner-city ghettos but are active in over 800 cities nationwide. Alarmingly, nearly 100 cities with populations less than 10,000 report active street gangs.
Gunshot wounds are the eighth leading cause of death in the United States.
It is estimated that firearms are used in 80 to 95 percent of gang-related homicides. Membership in a street gang increases one's risk of violent death by 60 percent. This increased risk of mortality, as well as the proliferation of street gangs, should be of grave concern to health care professionals. Historic Perspective Street gangs have been described as an aggregation of youths who perceive themselves as distinct, who are viewed as distinct by their community and who call forth a consistently negative image of themselves through their actions. 1 American street gangs have historically been ethnically based.