Homicide Studies: Street Gangs and Aggregate Homicides

S. E. Costanza 1
Ronald Helms 2
Affiliations:
- University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA
- Corresponding Author: S. E. Costanza

Contribution to research on city-level violence rates peaking in 1993.
Utilizes homicide data from 1993, introducing indicators for active street gangs and structural explanations of homicide rates.
Assesses correlation between gang presence and homicide variation across 154 U.S. central cities.
Findings show that active gang presence significantly associates with homicide rates.

Dramatic escalation in violent crime in the U.S. from mid-1980s to early 1990s (MacDonald & Gover, 2005).
- Peak of violent crime rates for young men reached in 1993 (Cook & Laub, 1998).
Criminologists researched social psychological and structural causations for increased violence (Jackson, 1991).
Continued investigations emphasize homicide patterns during the violent peak period (Cerdá et al., 2010; MacDonald & Gover, 2005).
Focuses on empirical links between street gangs and homicide offending in U.S. central cities.

Increased homicide rates linked to convergence of drug markets, guns, and gang presence (Decker, 1996; Decker & VanWinkle, 1994; Esbensen & Huisinga, 1996).
Complex developmental issues impacting patterns of gang membership (Bjerregard, 2010; Thornberry & Krohn, 2003).

Strong correlations between gang affiliations and street-level violence documented (Esbensen et al., 2010; Klein & Maxson, 1995; Thornberry & Krohn, 2003).
Gangs viewed as key contributors to heightened violence (Liberman, 2010) through exploitation of marginalized drug economies (Block et al., 1996; Coughlin & Venkatesh, 2003).

Lack of aggregate evidence correlating gangs with lethal violence (Maxson, 1992).
Previous micro-level studies identified links but aggregate-level analysis remained under-explored.
Historical narrative surrounding street gangs and violence prevalent for over 150 years (Gilfoyle, 2004; Thrasher, 1927).

Disputed numbers on annual gang-related homicides reported (Block et al., 1996):
- Chicago: 32% of total homicides (1994).
- Los Angeles: 44% of total homicides (1994).
Formative studies highlight gang involvement in drug distribution and its correlation with violence (Blumstein, 1995; Cork, 1999).
Inconsistent aggregate evidence correlating gangs to homicide rates remains (Anderson, 1990; Hagedorn, 1988; Moore, 1991).

Empirical homicide research challenges numerous structural hypotheses:
- Mixed findings regarding race effects (Kovandzic et al., 1998; Liska et al., 1998).
- Contradictions surrounding economic inequality on homicide rates (Blau & Blau, 1982; Messner, 1982).
- Similar mixed results regarding poverty effects (Bailey, 1984; Messner, 1983).
Underlying issues surrounding unemployment effects and household disruption also yield inconsistent outcomes.

Oppositional street cultures imbued individual patterns of violence (Anderson, 1990; Rosenfeld et al., 1999).
Empirical studies underscore gang involvement in drug markets and violence facilitation (Cork, 1999; Hagedorn, 1998).
Gangs linked to violence through community dynamics and risky situations.

Structural indicators of concentrated disadvantage address community disorganization (Land et al., 1990; McCall et al., 2010).
Assesses how the presence of racial minority populations contributes to stratified social tensions and crime.

Examines unemployment, Black/White income ratios, and divorce rates affecting homicide rates.
Population size accounted as a contributor to reduced societal control.

Homicide data sourced from FBI Uniform Crime Reports (1993), assessing per capita rates.
Sample: 154 cities over a population benchmark of 100,000.

Rate of active gangs established via law enforcement surveys (Maxson, 1992).
Concentrated disadvantage index developed based on racial demographics and economic indicators.
Other structural covariates measured include unemployment and divorce rates.

Total U.S. homicides (1993): 24,530 with per capita rate of 9.5 per 100,000 population.
Significant correlation between city size, race, and resource deprivation with homicide rates.

Multiple regression analyses considered within structured covariates, differentiating gang effects.
Gang presence yields significant, but modest statistical outcomes concerning urban homicide variations.
Findings relate to structural covariates denoting heightened homicide rates from concentrated disadvantage.

Empirical evidence points to a modest association of gangs with urban homicide rates, inviting more complex understandings of gang roles beyond violence.
Calls for a reconsideration of local policies targeting gang suppression amidst ongoing economic and social dislocation.

Acknowledges potential difficulties in accurately measuring active gang effects and reliance on varying data collection methodologies.
Emphasizes need for standardized measures across times to enhance research efficacy in understanding gang dynamics and urban violence.

Expansion on qualitative and quantitative assessments of gang influences on violence.
Consideration of socio-political structures to better frame gang-related interventions in crime policy settings.