Constructions of Deviance, 6e Patricia A. Adler Peter Adler Part VI Power Point Presentation Kenneth Colburn Sociology Department Butler University

Article 35 Miller Part VI

Article 35 Miller An undeveloped area in the gang literature is the relationship between gang participation and victimization risk Strong evidence (Lauritson, Sampson, and Laub, 1991) suggests that delinquent lifestyles are associated with an increased risk of victimization

Article 35 Miller Gangs are social groups organized around delinquency and participation in gangs has been shown to escalate youth’s involvement in crime and violence Research on gang violence indicates that the primary targets of this violence are other gang members

Article 35 Miller Thus gang participation can be seen as a delinquent lifestyle that involves high risks of victimization Research on female gang involvement has expanded in recent years to include examination of such issues as violence and victimization, but the relationship between gang participation and violent victimization remains undeveloped area here as well

Article 35 Miller I. Methodology Data in this study come from survey and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 female members of mixed gender gangs in Columbus, Ohio Subjects ranged in age from 12-17 75% were African American or multiracial (16 of 20); the rest (4) were White

Article 35 Miller Sample was drawn from several local agencies in Columbus working with at-risk youth The project was structured as a gang/nongang comparison; a total of 46 girls interviewed Gang membership determined by self-definition A limitation of study is that only young women were interviewed; inferences about gender dynamics and young men’s behavior is based on young women’s perceptions only

Article 35 Miller II. Gender, Gangs, and Violence A. Gangs as Protection and Risk Several girls suggest that being a gang member is a source of protection in the neighborhood Females offered a gendered sense of protection by belonging to a group that was mostly male: male gang members could retaliate against violent acts to girls in gang At same time, members recognize that they may be targets of rival gangs and were expected to “be down” for their gang at those times even when it meant being physically hurt

Article 35 Miller Thus members should be tough, able to fight and engage in criminal activities, be loyal to the group, and be willing to put oneself at risk for the gang Initiation rites and internal rules exposed members to submit to violence For example, a person submits to a certain number of blows to the head and/or chest or is “beat in” by gang members for a certain duration of time

Article 35 Miller Breaking a rule such as disrespecting the leader or dating a rival gang member would result in physical punishment It is clear that in spite of subjects’ views of gangs as a form of “protection,” being a gang member also involves a willingness to open oneself to possible victimization Perhaps because of its more structured nature compared to random vulnerability of being on streets without gang, victimization risk for young women in gangs may seem preferable

Article 35 Miller B. Gender and Status, Crime and Victimization Status hierarchies within Columbus gangs, like elsewhere, are male-dominated All young women reported established leaders and they were male; in some cases only males could be leaders Leadership qualities—being tough, able to fight, willing to “do dirt”—perceived as masculine in nature; Keisha notes: “The guys, they just harder…(they) more rougher.”

Article 35 Miller Status in gangs for most part based on willingness to use serious violence and commit dangerous crimes, traits more likely found among males Since such traits seen as masculine, young women have greater flexibility in their gang involvement: fewer expectations on them to fight, use weapons, commit crimes As a result victimization risk for girls was less than for males

Article 35 Miller Girls could gain status in gang by use of serious violence, being hard and true to set Young women also had a second route to status unavailable to men via their connections as sisters, girlfriends, family to high-status males in gang This second route maintains gender inequality in gangs but decreases risk of victimization for women

Article 35 Miller Young men’s perceptions of girls as lesser members served to keep girls from being targets of serious violence at hands of rival gang males leaving that to their girls Most subjects tended not to be involved in serious gang violence or crime and some reported they chose to exclude themselves do to feelings of ambivalence about it

Article 35 Miller C. Girls’ Devaluation and Victimization In addition to girls choosing not to participate in serious gang violence, they were also excluded by male members from doing so Two crimes in particular “off-limits” for girls: drug sales and drive-by shootings Often framed as protection for girls, and reducing their risk of injury, women’s exclusion perpetuated devaluation of female members as less significant to the group

Article 35 Miller Some women found perception of them as weak and in need of protection as frustrating: it meant girls had a harder time proving they were serious about their gang commitment Such devaluation of girls in gangs could lead to mistreatment and victimization of girls by members of their own gang if lacking specific male protection like a brother This is exacerbated by gang activities leading to view of women as sexually available

Article 35 Miller Another problem reinforcing devaluation of women in gang was sexual in nature: girls but not boys could be “sexed in” as form of gang initiation thereby losing respect Such girls were viewed as sexually promiscuous, weak and not “true” members and were mistreated by both other males and females

Article 35 Miller The option of being “sexed into” gang served to keep girls disempowered since it potentially diminished claim of every woman as to how they got into gang Women gang members unlike men could also become potential victims of rival gang sexual violence such as rape