Gangs and Youth Violence Gangs and Youth Violence Gang problems in the United States have escalated rapidly since the 1960s. About half of the cities with gang problems today report the emergence of gangs only since 1985. Most gangs are home grown, rather than initiated by outsiders, such as gang members who have moved from other cities.
Gangs tend to be composed of young people, mainly male, with similar ethnic and racial backgrounds.
Most gangs are loosely organized. Chinese and Vietnamese gangs appear to be oriented primarily toward economic crimes, such as gambling, extortion, drug smuggling, and drug distribution. Ethnic conflict is often associated with the emergence of gangs in communities, but most gang conflict takes place between gangs of the same ethnicity rather than between gangs of different ethnicities. Drug use and drug selling are common activities among many, but not all, gangs. The relationship between gangs and drug selling is extremely variable.