The American Street Gang: Its Nature, Prevalence, and Control (Studies in Crime and Public Policy) (Paperback)

by Malcolm W. Klein (Author) "Hans Mattick was wrong..." (more)
Key Phrases: street gang situation, gang worker programs, gang cohesiveness, Los Angeles, New York, The Contemporary Street Gang Situation (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Klein, director of the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Southern California, views street gangs?as opposed to drug gangs, bikers or skinheads?as not monolithic and certainly not cohesive. Although such a gang may contain a core group, many more are made up of fringe members, he asserts, and there is overlap among gangs. A large number of gangs have a criminal orientation, and their crimes have traditionally been against property. Gangs' major activity, according to the author, has been inactivity. But in recent times, the number of street gangs has grown enormously, he shows, with gangs now found in at least 800 American cities, their growth abetted by media attention and inept law enforcement officials. But as the gang culture has spread across the nation, the seriousness of its crimes has increased, with hundreds of homicides yearly in L.A. alone. Though written by a scholar who has studied street gangs for 30 years, this telling commentary is generally free of academic jargon.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Klein is probably the best known, most persevering, and expert gang researcher practising today....Klein demonstrates in this book that he knows more about gang scholarship that anyone else in the world."--Irving Spergel, University of Chicago


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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195115732
• ISBN-13: 978-0195115734
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #652,050 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful, readable, July 1, 2001

By A Customer

As a (former) Bay Area gang officer, I find that my personal experience validates Dr. Klein's research, surmises, and experience. I appreciate his moderate stance based on research rather than ideology. I have reread the work several times, and reference it constantly while performing any level of public education. I hope that the assertions on reducing cohesiveness are considered in forming community responses, and that Dr. Klein's thoughtful methodology becomes the norm, and not a threat to institutions.