Troublesome youth groups, gangs and knife-carrying in Scotland
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Young people’s views and experiences
Whilst some young people referred to the groups they were involved with as ‘gangs’, in general they resisted the gang label, preferring to talk about the people they hung about with in terms of an ‘area’, a ‘team’ or a ‘group’. The groups were mostly small, with relatively narrow age ranges, though at weekends these groups might consist of as many as 30 to 60 young people.
The vast majority of the groups were mixed-gender, but predominantly male. Both male and female respondents reported that young men, in general, were more heavily involved in offending and violence than young women. Young women, in contrast, were perceived primarily as group associates. The groups can best be characterised as fluid and informal friendship networks that met regularly, but not in any formal capacity. Group membership and, for some, violent group behaviour were regarded as a normal part of growing up in particular families and neighbourhoods. Young people articul...
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