San Antonio's Barrio Gangs

Size, Scope, and Other Characteristics

Bibliographic Data

ID2152802
AuthorsMike Tapia (0000-0001-7173-5088, New Mexico State University, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume36
Issue9
Pages691-704
Publication date2015-09-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDeviant Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-9625 • E-ISSN: 1521-0456
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01639625.2014.977101
OpenAlexW1688604902
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited33

I analyze data gathered from a sample of men who were gang members in San Antonio in the 1950s. Using subject-generated lists of gangs and reputable members citywide, the work examines the size, scope, and other salient characteristics of the barrio gang phenomenon from that era. By extrapolating rough estimates from Census data, qualitative fieldwork, and a police database, I find that the proportion of young Chicano males involved in gang activity today is comparable to what it was in the 1950s. In both eras, nearly 10% of the total population of Chicano males ages 12–19 in San Antonio are and were gang involved. Implications of this finding, study limitations, and future research are discussed

Census · Criminology · Geography · Population · Salient · Sample (material · Scope (computer science · Sociology · Computer Science · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Demography · Race, History, and American Society · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies

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