Group and intergroup parameters of gang activities: An introduction and research agenda.

In introducing this Special Issue on gangs, we overview the thrust of its papers, demonstrating how they

assist in plugging research gaps from the dearth of psychological attention to gangs. The papers therein

raise important theoretical considerations of group process effects, social identity, and communication

influences in gangs. Also included are empirical examinations of how attitudes to formal organized

crime groups may nurture progang views, how social networks bridge gang divides, the dehumanization

and social dominance association with gang membership, and how membership longevity associates

with gang members’ attitudes to their group. We conclude with theoretical prospects and empirical

vistas for future work. For instance, vitality theory may help explain members’ immersion in gangs,

discursive strategies could explain how youth are enticed into gangs, and examinations of community

and law enforcement attitudes to gangs may provide insight into how oppositional attitudes are

fostered on both sides of the gang divide.