Youth Involvement in Street Gangs in California¿s Central Valley

This timely, insightful, and data-led book fills a gap in gang scholarship by examining gangs in rural areas, specifically focussing on youth gang activity.

Incorporating information from interviews with 96 active youth gang members and associates in three of the rural counties of California-s Central Valley, this book provides an in-depth look at youth involvement in gang life in rural settings and addresses the underlying factors leading to the socialization of rural youths into gang life. The book documents the family and school life of youths living in rural communities and examines the process by which they are initiated into gang activity. It discusses their roles in various street gang organizations and their gang-related and non-gang-related illegal activities. It traces their experience within the criminal justice system, from initial contacts with the police to confinement in juvenile facilities. Besides extensive interviews with the youths, data from more than 300