Gangs: An Introduction provides a wide-ranging overview ideal for courses on gangs. Opening with a discussion of early research and perspectives from the late 1920s until the early 1970s, the book then moves on to cover sociological and legal definitions of gangs; daily life and risk and protective factors; race and immigration; female gang members; drug use and selling; violence and victimization; the cultural criminology of gangs; theories on gangs and gang behaviors; desistance; suppression, intervention, and prevention; and more.FEATURES* A focus on theories of gangs, rather than on criminological theories* Original contributions to the gang literature* An emphasis on evidence-based practices* Examples of real-life court cases* Interview excerpts from gang members, drawn from the author's research*Media Check! sections in each chapter featuring examples from movies, documentaries, TV shows, and music