Definitions of a Gang/Group

Are groups of youth who loiter on a street corner or at a shopping centre a gang? Are groups who get into occasional fistfights gangs? Are groups who steal or vandalize property considered a gang? If a group uses a gun once, is it a gang? If a group uses sticks and bats but not knives and guns, is it a gang? Many argue that, “if a group is willing to use enough violence to kill others, whether in defence or aggression, then it should be considered a gang” (Sanders, 1994). While others argue that violence need not be a defining characteristic for a group to be considered a gang (some police forces define a gang as a group of three or more individuals who form an alliance for the purpose of engaging in criminal activity) the distinction between a “gang'” and a “group” should not matter. “The term ‘gang’ can be a misleading way of describing different kinds of gatherings of young people. The term 'gang/group' is preferred as a better way of capturing the phenomenon; and analysts and policy-makers should be thinking in terms of a continuum ranging from a group of friends who spend time together and occasionally get into trouble to more serious, organized criminal groups or gangs”. According to the Montréal Police Service’s definition (2011), a gang is “an organized group of adolescents and/or young adults who rely on group intimidation and violence, and commit criminal acts in order to gain power and recognition and/or control certain areas of unlawful activity.” The universal use of the word “gang” to refer in the media to any situation that involves more than one person all too often creates a misleading stereotype, thus the term “gang/group” is used to avoid such criminal stereotypes and exaggerated media images usually associated with the term “gang”. As University of Toronto researchers, Doob et al ) explain, “it is important not to equate offending in groups with 'gangs'. If one defines a gang as a relatively stable, somewhat organized, group with clear or formal leadership, most groups of young people that commit offences do not qualify as ‘gangs’”. All too often, we read of “Asian gangs” or “Native gangs” in the media, and it is important to eliminate the perception that violent youth gang/groups consist solely of visible minorities or immigrant groups – it’s just that “Caucasians avoid the label ‘gang’ because the media does not identify them by race” Violent gang/groups are racially diverse; most are primarily male, some are female; they are from lower class communities, middle class communities, and upper class communities. Studies on youth gangs/groups report the following: Youth involved in violent acts and gang/group activity are getting younger in age. It is not uncommon now to find students in grades 1 or 2 committing serious acts of violence; Girls are becoming more directly involved in gang/group assaults and are using weapons such as guns and knives; The presence of guns and gun replicas in schools, and the widespread presence of other weapons; School boards are reporting an increase in verbal and physical assaults on teachers and vandalism of teachers' cars and other property; The individual schoolyard bully has been largely replaced by a group of youth who commit assaults and thefts; Students are reporting that they often do not feel safe at school or while walking to school; Extortion and drug dealing is becoming a routine part of the school day in some communities; Intruders have become a serious problem for many schools;