The Violent Gang

About the Book

A newly revised and expanded edition of Dr. Lewis Yablonsky’s classic study of violent urban gangs. Drawing on “live research” gathered while he was director of community crime-prevention program Yablonsky traces the “natural history” of two infamous New York City gangs. In their own words gang members tell why they murdered a fifteen-year-old polio victim and describe patterns of gang organization, leadership, alliances, warfare, and violence. Yablonsky also discusses programs for dealing with such groups and offers a new plan for gang control.

In his introduction to his new edition, Dr. Yablonsky outlines significant parallels between the activities of teen-age gangs and the rebellious behavior of many of today’s young people. There is also a new and vital chapter in the “patters of violence” that plague contemporary society.

“… a model of powerful and incisive writing in the field of sociology…. An important and immensely useful work.”
— Los Angeles Times

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