Come on now, I want to see blood! Choreographed Violence in US Gang Initiation Rites

• In Event: Global Perspectives on Youth Gang Behaviour, Violence, and Weapon Use

Abstract

Laura Hansen reviews the often violent initiation rites directed at new or potential members of gangs noting this is not a recent phenomenon nor one exclusive to joining street gangs or crews. Hansen explores the origins of violent initiation and how contemporary rites are used to "welcome" new members in youth gangs mirror other entries into exclusively male enclaves. These rituals include controlled, choreographed patterns of violent behavior, including participants vs. voyeurs and number of blows directed at the initiate before the rite is considered to be completed. In addition to taking a historical perspective, recognized predictive risk factors for gang recruitment are listed, e.g. Hill et al. (1999) in their Seattle study of juvenile delinquency and how it leads down the slippery slope to gang affiliation.

Author

• Laura Lynn Hansen, Western New England University