Primary and secondary sources from a variety of perspectives analyze the factors which encourage gang behavior in young people.

Youths join gangs for many reasons /Lonnie Jackson -- Youths join gangs for protection / Scott H. Decker and Barrik Van Winkle -- Youths join gangs for the thrill of violence and power / Isis Sapp-Grant and Rosemarie Robotham -- Girls join gangs to escape problems at home / Jody Miller -- Asian youths join gangs because they feel culturally alienated / Patrick Du Phuoc Long with Laura Ricard -- Drug trafficking encourages gang behavior / Lewis Yablonsky -- The media encourage gang behavior / Rick Landre, Mike Miller, and Dee Porter -- Prison life encourages gang behavior / Tiffany Danitz.