Most people link gangs to drugs and murder.
Read the following selection to determine the factors that may lead to gang involvement. The public and the media are very concerned about gangs and the widespread growth of gang violence. These groups are often portrayed as criminal and violent, and frequently in trouble with the police. However, sociologists know that gangs, like all forms of deviance, grow out of social conditions and can serve important functions. This reading reports on research done among members of gangs in Honolulu, Hawaii.