1. Johanne Miller, PhD Student UWS
Supervised by: Professor Chris Holligan,
Professor Ross Deuchar & Paula Cowan

2. Cameron UK May Look to US for Gang
Advice SaveYouTube com.mpg You tube link

3. David Cameron highlighted several points about
gangs in Britain. He states they are:
 Hierarchical
 Lead criminal careers
 Have leadership
 Are an organised entity
 Are damaging to society
 Are inherently criminal
 Outside help required
Eurogang Definition
A youth gang or troublesome youth
group, is an durable street oriented
youth group whose involvement in
illegal activity is part of their group
identity.

4.  Bill Braxton, Boston Initiative
 Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) model
being replicated (Home Office 2011)
Theresa May: We will identify 30 areas for which £10 million
from the Home Office will be available next year... I can
confirm that we were making a further £10 million available
next year for the early intervention fund... The Government
have also introduced gang injunctions, which enable local
authorities and the police to tackle over-18s involved in gang-
related violence by banning them from meeting other gang
members, wearing gang colours, hanging around in certain
locations and owning dangerous dogs.We are looking to
extend that tool to 14 to 17-year-olds. (Hansard 2011)
Human Right: Article 11: Association
Human Right: Article 14: Discrimination

5.  Social commentators blamed street based, youth
gangs for riots
 Gang Talk & Gang Talkers (Hallsworth & Young 2004)
 Policies released in aftermath of riots to suppress the
„new social problem‟ of gangs
 Home Office (2011) pledge £12 million to suppress
gangs in 2012
 Ignorance of other factors: No race / bread riots

6. Area % Population Court % Population Court
of City(Census Defendants of City(Census Defendants
2001) (Ministry of Justice 2001) (Ministry of Justice
2011) 2011)
London 71% White 33% White 28.9% BME 77% BME
West 76.5% White 41% White 23.5% BME 69%BME
Midlands
Nottingham 81.6% White 37%White 18.4% BME 63%BME
Manchester 91% White 74%White 9% BME 26%BME
Age Range of defendants: 51% 10-20 yrs
49% 20- 50 yrs
The objects of desire, whose absence is most violently resented, are
It was concluded gangs are not
nowadays many and varied – and their numbers, as well as the temptation
to have them, grow by the day. And so grows the wrath, humiliation, spite
and grudge aroused by not having them – as well as the urge to destroy
behind the riots
what you can‟t have. Looting shops and setting them on fire derive from the
(Ministry of Justice 2011)
same impulsion and gratify the same longing (Bauman 2011)

7. Each man, finally, outside of his professional activity, carries on some
form of intellectual activity, that is he is a ‘philosopher’, an artist, a man
of taste, he participates in a particular conception of the world, has a
conscious line of moral conduct, and therefore contributes to sustain a
conception of the world or to modify it, that is to bring into being new
modes of thought. Gramsci (1973:9)
 Lackof empirical evidence to support a
definition of what a gang is in Britain (Bennet &
Holloway 2004)
 Different
cities produce different types of
gangs (Pitts 2008) Lambeth (Pitts 2007)
West & East Coast Scotland (Bannister et al
2010)

8.  Misrepresentation of the problem
 Self defining surveys used as main indicator of
gang prevalence in Scotland and England
 Young people have a different understanding of
the concept resulting in misrepresentation of the
problem
 Misinformed policies and interventions
 Labelling practices associated with gang name
The least restrictive definition includes all youth who claim gang membership at
some point in time. The most restrictive definition includes only those youth who
are current core gang members who indicate that their gang has some degree of
organizational structure and whose members are involved in illegal activities.
(Esbensen, Winfree, He, & Taylor 2001:105)

9. 1. Create a definition of a Glasgow gang.
2. 2. Explore Glasgow gang culture
3. 3. Place the concept of gangs back within the context of youth studies
Participants
Area Coverage 70
60
50
South North 40
West 27%
37% 30
20
East 10
16% 0
West Survey Gang Practitioners nu of Gangs
South 14% Particpants Member worked with
East Interviews
6%
Nu worked with
Age Range of Participants: 10-22. Core Members 70% Fringe Members 30%
Practitioner Sample consists of: Education, Police Force, Gangs Task
Force, CIRV, Youth Workers

10. Q43: Do you think a gang needs to be criminal to be called a
gang? 71.9% answered NO!
Eurogang Definition: A youth gang or troublesome youth group, is an durable street oriented
youth group whose involvement in illegal activity is part of their group identity.
Eurogang Core Gang % Yes % No Age Age Range Age Range Years Years Years Years
Descriptors Range 16-19 19-25 0-1 1-10 11-20 20+
12-15
Do you have group of 95% 5%
friends you spend time
with
Age Group 5.8% 62.2% 27%
Time Spent in Public 85.7% 14.3%
Places
How long has group 9.1% 18.2% 12.1% 60.6%
Existed
Is doing illegal things 83.3% 16.7%
okay with your group
Does your group do 84.4% 13.3%
illegal things together
Do you consider your 89.2% 10.8%
group to be a gang?
Survey says yes: We say no

11.  When supplemented with interviews there is an extra
level of analysis
 Q43: Do you think a gang needs to be criminal to be
called a gang? 71.9% answered NO
 Removal of criminal aspect means the gang label can
be applied to most youth groups
 When asked what criminal behaviour was:
Drinking Hangin aboot on the street Smokin weed
Fightin Gettin chases Gettin MWI
Bein rowdy in the street takin eccy

12. A wee bit.
Responses to Survey Q43:
Yes? In what way?
Do you think a gang needs to be
I don‟t know.
criminal to be called a gang?
What would you think
criminal behaviour is?
. 71.9% answered NO
Smashing windows, fighting,
shouting and that.
No, not really.
Why?
Because you can still be called a
No, not really.
gang and be a non. ...
And not do criminal things?
Aye No.
What would you call criminal No? How come?
behaviour? I don‟t know. You could just
Fighting and I don‟t know be a bunch of pals.

13. They sabre rattle at each other for half an hour. That‟s a recreation. You
hear about that a lot. They do it for the buzz. They do it for that. That, I
think, from my poorly educated perspective, reinforces the fact it‟s
recreational. “How do I get my kicks?” That‟s where they get them from.
It‟s certainly not about criminality. (CIRV)
Maybe some of the gangs in America, it‟s more related to organised crime
gangs than it is maybe here. But the gangs we‟ve have at the level that
we‟re talking about isn‟t merely the organised crime level. So maybe the
ones in America are more higher level than the ones here. (Community
Police)
It‟s not the same here as it is other places. I mean, it‟s young boys who
have a belief they need to protect their scheme. Their not involved in
drug rackets or organised crime or anything like that. Do not get me
wrong the violence associated with it is horrific but it‟s not organised
crime, there‟s no any careers or money in it for them. The Jack‟s, Tigers
(Criminal Families) n that are the ones that run these things in Glasgow.
(Youth worker)

14. Leaders? (laughter) They dinnnae have leaders. Ye‟ll get the mair mental
yans that will wanna start fights cause they‟re ragin bout some‟ing bad in
their lives. The other wans will go along wae it caus they feel bad for them
or their scared ae gettin a kickin but that‟s as far as it goes. Maybe
sometimes wans mair involved n has like mair street cred so they will
listen tae him mair but thats just group dynamics innit. It‟s no the leader ae
the gang (laughter). (Youth Worker)
I don‟t think they have leaders in terms of the American gangs;
they‟ve got a structure almost military – Lieutenants and Generals,
they‟ve all got that. I don‟t think there‟s the same kind of leadership.
As I say, there‟ll be one or two key members, (CIRV Education
Worker)

15. Responses Percentage Actual Responses
Group of Friends hanging about 44.4% Group ae pals. Group of friends
together hanging about together. A Group of
Friends. Group of people that hang
about together. The troopz. The
troops doing what we do best. Group
ae pals. Neds, Wino hang about in a
team.
Group of people protecting 25.2% Young boys that protect their scheme.
territory A group of people that protect their
territory. Group of people that hang
about a territory.
A group of people who want to 25.2% Bunch of boys trying to make a name
cause trouble or fight for themselves. A group hanging
around together maybe doing wrong
things. Large group of thugz
Your Life & protection 4.6% Your life. Pals, back up.
This has important consequences: 89.2% claim gang membership. Gang
membership to the majority is a group of friends hanging around
together. THEY DO NOT need to be involved in group criminal behaviour.

16. N17: Aye, scheme name
I – What do you think a gang
I: Whats that based on? is? Large group of males
N17: Dont know, its always been like that large group of...
I: Has it always been like that yeah? P5 – Young boys that protect
N17: Aye yer scheme [laughs]
P1 – Is that what you think it
I: And you’s just adopted it? is?
N17: Aye, its always been MYT P3 – Obviously (survey)this is
I: And does your mum and that, older brothers and gangs in American and
say, cousins, do they still say they’re Mintown there are nae schemes in
America (Alan)
N17: Front end and back end, the whole scheme is MYT
I: The full scheme? It just stays? That never just changes
N17: Naw (John)
.
Why do they start? D’ya know wit a mean? Wit are they? wit are gangs?
Dunno, it happens all the time like. When yer a wee guy ye‟ll see the older wans fae
you drinking havin a good time n aw that. N you hink you wana dae that so you n aw
your pals become the new generation. Then it just keeps going. That‟s the way every
wee guy in Glasgae probably thinks noo. (Russell)
.
Just people trying to… It‟s basically fighting – that‟s all it is. Just a group
of boys, just jumping about, drinking, and if other people come in to
their scheme, they don‟t let them in, and they‟ll try to fight, normally, to
get them out.

17. Structure
Ethnicity 96% White 4% BME
Gender 88% Male 12% Female
Age Range:13-22 years old
Members: Between 10-59
Existed :11-20 years 10.5%
More than 20 years 57.9%
Definition
A regenerating group of young (typically) men aged 10-25.
The groups originate in low income, urbanised areas. They
are bound by territory and engage in violent offending
with other territorial groups. The territory will have a name
and symbol attached to it.

18. LAMBETH GANGS WALTHAM FOREST
 Ethnicity: Predominantly  Ethnicity: Predominantly
BME composition made up of BME
 Gender: Unknown  Gender Mostly Male
 Average Age: 10-25  Average Age: 12-25
 Length: Unknown  Length: Less than 10 years
 Amount: 45  Amount: 11 gangs (London street
gangs,com)
 Gangs linked with criminal
 Most gangs linked with the
organisations
(Lambeth Chairs Report 2008 & Pitts 2007) criminal drug market
(Pitts 2007)

19. What is happening to our young people?
They disrespect their elders, they disobey
their parents.
They ignore the law.
They riot in the streets inflamed with wild
notions. Their morals are decaying.
What is to become of them?
(Plato, 4th Century BC)

20.  Bannister, J, Pickering, J Batchelor, S, Burman, M Kintrea, K, McVie, S. (2010)
Troublesome Youth Groups, Gangs and Knife Crime in Scotland.
 Bennett, T and Holloway, K. Gang Membership, Drugs and Crime in the UK,”
British Journal of Criminology 44, no. 3 (2004): p.317 Report for The Scottish
Government
 Chairs report (2008) London Borough of Lambeth Gangs Executive
Commission Report [Online Resource] Available from:
 Esbensen, F. Winfree, Jr, T. He, N. Taylor, J (2001) Youth Gangs and Definitional
Issues: When Is a Gang a Gang, and Why Does It Matter? Crime &
Delinquency 47:1
 Gramsci, A (1973) Selections from the Prison Notebooks (ed & trans. Hoare, Q
and Nowell Smith, G) London. Laurence & Wishart
 Hallsworth S. & Young T. (2004) Getting Real About Gangs, Criminal Justice
matters 55 12-13
 Home Office (2011) Ending Gang and Youth Violence: A Cross Government
Report including further evidence and good practice case studies. UK
Stationary Office Ltd
 Ministry of Justice (2011)
 Pitts, J. (2007). Reluctant gangsters: youth gangs in Waltham Forest. University of
Bedfordshire.
 Pitts, J (2007) Young & Safe in Lambeth The Deliberations of the Executive
Commission on Young People & Violent Crime