Youth Gangs in Indian Country   [open pdf - 465KB]

"Since 1995, the National Youth Gang Center (NYGC) has surveyed law enforcement agencies across the nation about youth gang activity. Because tribal police departments were not included in earlier surveys, however, youth gang activities in Indian country have been largely absent from survey findings. This Bulletin describes the nature and makeup of youth gangs in Indian country. The findings presented are the result of a 2001 NYGC survey - tailored specifically for Indian communities - that asked federally recognized Indian communities to describe their experiences with youth gang activity. Researchers found that youth gangs in Indian country did not differ greatly from youth gangs in comparably sized communities. Indian country youth gangs, however, were noticeably different from youth gangs as depicted through national statistics. The study also included comparisons with findings from a previous study of youth gang activity in the Navajo Nation. Drawing on these research findings, the Bulletin proposes prevention, intervention, and suppression strategies."