Youth gang problems in the U.S. grew dramatically between the 1970’s and the 1990’s, with the prevalence of gangs reaching unprecedented levels. The reduction of juvenile violence, crime, and victimization constitutes one of the most crucial challenges of this millennium.

Youth gang research clearly identifies the contribution of gang members to juvenile violence and crime.  Assigning higher priority to youth gangs in crime and delinquency policies cannot be denied. Jurisdictions experiencing youth gang problems cannot make significant progress in preventing and reducing young adult and juvenile violence without addressing youth gang problems at the same time.