What Is the Percentage of Teenagers Joining Gangs?

All data regarding teen gang membership is estimated. However, there appears to be more than 350,000 teenage gang members in the U.S. While gang activity takes place all over the country, most gang members still live in inner cities.

Number of members

According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, youth gangs have about 772,000 members nationwide, with half of them being teens under 18. That equates to about 1.6% of 13- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. The Institute for Intergovernmental Research (IIR) collected gang-related data every year from 1996 through 2005 and found an average of 750,000 gang members in the U.S.
While estimates of the total number of gang members vary and some demographic groups appear to be underreported, it appears that more than 1% but fewer than 2% of teens under 18 have joined gangs. In some areas, however, the percentage is much higher.

History

Gang activity rose substantially from 1975 through 1995, with activity reported in every state. In the 1970s, only half of U.S. states reported gang activity, with most of that activity confined to large cities. Youth gangs have reached far beyond the inner cities, forming in small towns and rural areas.

Trends

Gang membership declined between 1996 and 2005, though membership remains high in larger cities. Gang problems in rural counties declined substantially during the 10-year period. Three studies found that between half and two-thirds of youth gang members leave the gang within a year of joining.

Reasons for membership

Teenagers join gangs for a number of reasons. Gangs give lonely and troubled youths a feeling of belonging. They also appeal to children seeking excitement or a reputation. In many areas, particularly inner-city neighborhoods with high gang penetration, children join because their friends have done so.

Girls in gangs

Official statistics often under-report female gang members. The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center said that while national estimates project that only 8% of gang members are female, one study of 11 cities found that girls made up more than one-third of gang members. The numbers appear to vary based on geographic location. IIR data suggests that while females make up just 6% of gang members in large cities, the percentage of girls in gangs is nearly twice as high in rural areas.

Resources

• Gang statistics from Institute of Intergovernmental Research.
• Gang information from the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center.