Female Gang Involvement
Female gangs are generally classified into three types: female auxiliary gangs affiliated with male gangs, mixed-sex gangs with both female and male members, and independent female gangs. In my paper, I’m going to focus on female auxiliary gang members; and those that are in mixed-sex gangs. I’m going to do a comparison and contrast on the similarities and differences between the two types according to their motivation for joining gangs, structure, and functions within each gang. I chose to exclude independent female gangs because they are rare; and the other two types are more predominant. Female auxiliary gang members and female members of mixed-gender gangs have similar motivations for joining gangs. ... Erica, a 17-year-old African-American, explained, “It’s like people look at us and that’s what they think, there’s a gang and they respect us for that. ... ”( Miller, Maxson, Klein 234-5) A former female Crip member who lives in Hot Springs, AR says that she joined a gang because of family problems. ... The gang replaced her family and provided her with a sense of belonging. The structure of female auxiliary gangs differs heavily from those of mixed- gender. ... Also, female mixed-gender gangs have a higher degree of loyalty to their gang, and they are more likely to participate in higher levels of delinquent activity.