In this absorbing new collection, Short and Hughes and their distinguished coauthors investigate why and how we study youth gangs. Over the last half-century of research by criminologists, sociologists, and gang experts, investigations of gang behavior have become increasingly specialized and isolated from studies of delinquency and deviance. The authors challenge popular and inaccurate definitions of gangs vs. non-gang youth groups, and show how the amazing diversity of gangs_both domestic and international_demands more rigorous study. This book stimulates thinking about valid methods of defining and interpreting gang behavior, in order to better understand delinquent and criminal behaviors, and their control. It is an ideal text for criminal justice, sociology, and social work courses, and a resource for law enforcement, probation and parole practitioners, and public defenders.

The eldofcrimeanddevianceisextensiveandevergrowing. Asinglecollectionofarticles couldnotcapturethevariousmethods,theories,andissuesthatcomprisethekeyconcernsofthe discipline. Facedwiththevastarrayofpotentialtopicareasthatcouldbelegitimatelyincluded insuchacompendium,wedecidedtouseourownlenstofocusonareasthatwedeemtobeof continuingimportanceandthoseinwhichimportantdevelopmentshaveemerged. Althoughwe recognizethatmuchhasbeenexcludedfromthiscollection,wethinkwhathasbeenincorporated shouldbeofgreatinteresttoscholarsworkinginthe eldandtothosestudentswhoarebecoming acquaintedwithit. Thecompendiumisdividedintofourmajorsections:(1)MethodologicalIssuesinCrime Research;(2)ExplanationsofCrime;(3)CriminalJustice-RelatedIssues;and(4)SpecialTopics inCrime. Withineachsection,wehaveendeavoredtoselectauthorswhoaremajor guresin theareaonwhichtheywriteorareamongthoseyoungscholarswhoaredoingsomeofthe mostimportantworkintheirareasofexpertise. Thisblendofseniorandup-and-comingscholars demonstratesthecontinuingvitalityofthe eldandwehopethatvitalityemanatesfromthe selectionswehavechosen. PartItitled"MethodologicalIssuesinCrimeResearch"containsfourchapters. Theissues thataredealtwithrangefromthosethatarethesourceofcontinuingdebate(arelongitudinal designsworththeexpenseandeffort,anddothebene tsofcomparativestudiesoutweighthe dif cultiesinconductingthem)aswellasissuesthatareonthecuttingedgeofcriminolo- calresearchtoday(theuseofgroup-basedstatisticalmethodologyforanalyzingdevelopmental trajectoriesandtheuseofincident-basedreportingsystems). A Handbook on Crime and DeviancewouldcertainlynotbecompletewithoutaPartII titled"ExplanationsofCrime. "Wehavenotincludedachapteroneverytheoreticalperspective thathasbeenpartofthedisciplinarydialogue. Rather,wehaveselectedsomeofthetheories onwhichtherehasbeensigni cantdevelopmentoverthepast10years. Theauthorswhohave contributedchaptersareclearlyamongthosewhoarecurrentlydoingworktoadvanceeitherthe theoreticaldevelopmentofthoseperspectivesortheresearchagendaonthosetheories,orboth. v vi Preface Theyalsowereinstructedtoemphasizethemorerecentdevelopmentsoftherespectivetheories intheirexpositions. PartIIIcontainschaptersaddressing"CriminalJustice-RelatedIssues. "Thereweream- iadofissuesthatcouldhavebeenaddressedinthispart. Wechosetoseekcontributionsonissues thatrelatetheorytopractice. Althoughweseparatethemfromourtheorysection,thesesel- tionscouldhaveeasilybeenincludedthere. Wealsoincludedessaysontwoissuesthatcontinue tobeamongthosethatareofcontinuingconcern,capitalpunishment,andthein uenceofrace andsexintheprocessingofoffendersinthecriminaljusticesystem. Part IV of the Handbook, "Special Topics in Crime and Deviance", is a compilation of issuesthatcontinuetobeorhavebecome'hottopics'inour eld. Theyrangefromgangs,guns, peers,anddrugstoissuessuchaschildabuseanddomesticviolence,cybercrime,andhatecrime. Thereareexcitingtheoreticalandresearchdevelopmentsintheseareas,manyofwhichhavebeen forwardedbytheauthorsofthesechapters. WhenrepresentativesofSpringeraskedustoassembleacompendium,theyspeci cally instructedustoselectarticlesbasedonourvisionofwhatwashappeninginthe eldtoday. Wehaveendeavoredtodothat. Moreimportantly,insolicitingchaptersfromthecontributing authors,weaskedthemtorelyontheirviewofwhatwasofparticularcurrentinterestintheir areaofexpertise. Wefurtherencouragedthemtoincorporatetheirownworkintheseareasin ordertotakefulladvantageoftheirexpertise. Theresultisacompendiumthatincludesan- to-dateassessmentofthestateofthe eldonanumberofextremelyimportanttopicsincrime anddeviance. Wethinkitwillbeavaluableresourcetoestablishedscholarsaswellasstudents whoarebeingintroducedtothe eld. MARVIN D. KROHN Contents I. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN CRIME RESEARCH Alan J. Lizotte 1. Contributions of Cross-National Research to Criminology at the Beginning of the 21st Century ...3 Janet P. Stamatel Introduction...3 WhatDoesCross-NationalCriminologyMean? ...4 TheValueOfCross-NationalCriminology...5 AskingDifferentQuestions...6 Macro-levelExplanations...7 ContextualizingCrimeinTimeandSpace ...8 MethodologicalChallengesAndNewDevelopments...9 QuantitativeApproaches ...9 QualitativeApproaches ...12 TheoreticalChallengesAndNewDevelopments ...13 GrandTheories ...14 AdaptingIntra-nationalTheoriestotheCross-NationalSetting ...15 NewDirectionsforCross-NationalCrimeTheories ...16 Conclusions...18 References ...18 2. Studying the Crime Problem with NIBRS Data: Current Uses and Future Trends ...23 Lynn A. Addington Introduction...23 OverviewOfNIBRS ...24 OriginsofNIBRSandInitialGoalsforIncident-BasedCrimeData...24 InformationCollectedbyNIBRS...2 5 vii viii Contents LawEnforcementParticipationinNIBRS...28 CurrentUsesOfNIBRSDataToResearchCrime...30 EarlyUsesofNIBRSData...30 ExamplesofCurrentUsesforNIBRSData ...30 ChallengesToUsingNIBRSData ...34 Challenge1:ConcernswithDataQuality ...34 Challenge2:LimitationswithPolice-GeneratedCrimeData ...35 Challenge3:AnalyticalComplexityofNIBRSData ...35 FutureTrendsInUsingNIBRSDataToStudyCrime ...35 AddressingChallenge1:ConcernswithDataQuality ...36 AddressingChallenge2:LimitationswithPolice-GeneratedCrimeData ...38 AddressingChallenge3:AnalyticalComplexityofNIBRSData...39 Conclusion...39 References ...40 3. Longitudinal Data and Their Uses...43 Alan J. Lizotte, David McDowall, and Nicole M. Schmidt Introduction...43 TheRochesterYouthDevelopmentStudy ...44 Data...44 Measures...44 Cross-SectionalVersusLongitudinalData ...46 ExamplesofDifferencesBetweenCross-SectionalandLongitudinal Analyses ...46 Conclusions...56 References ...

This 2nd edition of the Handbook provides an interdisciplinary coverage of new understandings of the most important developments in the sociology of crime and deviance that is current and emerging for research, methodology, practice, and theory in criminology. It fosters research to take the fields of criminology and criminal justice in new directions. Unlike any other handbook, it includes chapters on cutting-edge quantitative data and analytical techniques that are shaping the future of empirical research and expanding theoretical explanations of crime and deviance. It further devotes a section to the most current and innovative methodological issues. Chapters are updated providing an inclusive discussion of the current research and the theoretical and empirical future of crime and deviance. This handbook is of great interest for advanced undergraduates, graduates students, researchers and scholars in criminology, criminal justice, sociology and related fields, such as social welfare, economics, and psychology.

This 2nd edition of the Handbook provides an interdisciplinary coverage of new understandings of the most important developments in the sociology of crime and deviance that is current and emerging for research, methodology, practice, and theory in criminology. It fosters research to take the fields of criminology and criminal justice in new directions. Unlike any other handbook, it includes chapters on cutting-edge quantitative data and analytical techniques that are shaping the future of empirical research and expanding theoretical explanations of crime and deviance. It further devotes a section to the most current and innovative methodological issues. Chapters are updated providing an inclusive discussion of the current research and the theoretical and empirical future of crime and deviance. This handbook is of great interest for advanced undergraduates, graduates students, researchers and scholars in criminology, criminal justice, sociology and related fields, such as social welfare, economics, and psychology.

To reveal how membership in adolescent street gangs influences human development, the authors examine the origins of gang membership and the social and psychological factors that lead to joining. After demonstrating that gang members are responsible for the major share of serious and violent delinquency, they indicate how membership facilitates delinquent behavior and other developmental problems such as teen pregnancy and school dropout.

To reveal how membership in adolescent street gangs influences human development, the authors examine the origins of gang membership and the social and psychological factors that lead to joining. After demonstrating that gang members are responsible for the major share of serious and violent delinquency, they indicate how membership facilitates delinquent behavior and other developmental problems such as teen pregnancy and school dropout.