Street gang membership in Boston

Abstract

Historically, the study of gangs and gang membership has focused on the onset and continuity of adolescent gang membership. Overall, little research has been dedicated to studying the gang member's adult years, and the implications of gang membership over the life course. To fill this gap in knowledge, the current study integrates an examination of gangs and gang membership with the life course perspective by exploring the life experiences of 28 former gang members and two neighborhood street criminals from the late 1980's and early 1990's in Boston. Key to this research was an examination of the experiences of gang membership in Boston, the transitions and turning points that caused this group of serious and violent offenders to either persist in or desist from deviant and criminal behavior, and the long-term effects of gang membership. The data collection process included in-depth, one-on-one interviews, the use of life-history calendars to chronicle major life events, and criminal history records. The results suggest that the experience of gang membership in Boston was similar to that of other re-emerging gang cities of the late 1980's, in that structural turning points combined with the individual's own human agency had a direct effect on criminal behavior, and youth gang membership had long-lasting effects over the individual's life span. More specifically, the findings of this study differ from other studies in that marriage was not an important turning point for the subjects, and many of them were able to successfully desist from crime even in the absence of "knifing off" their pasts. Consistent with other studies, the structural turning point of work was found to be a critical component of change for the majority of the subjects. Finally, even today, almost 30 years after the re-emergence of the street gang culture in Boston, many of the men still struggle with the long-term impacts of the decisions they made when they were adolescents.