Female gang members: a profile of aggression and victimization

Most research on gang membership has concentrated on the male population. When female gang membership is examined, it is usually in reference to the young women as sex objects or to their secondary roles in the gang. Minimal work has been done to examine the etiology of female gang membership. This article presents themes of female gang membership that emerged from in-depth structured interviews with 15 young women in a residential treatment facility. Demographic material, family structure, initiation rites, and criminal behaviors are examined. In addition, specific implications for social work practice and research are explored.