The Role of Gangs in the Situational Ecology of Gun Violence

• In Event: NIJ-Supported Research Findings on Local Drivers and Long-term Trends in Urban Homicide

Abstract

This paper uses neural network models to characterize the role of gangs when victims are shot and injured. Examining nearly one million crimes from a large urban setting, we find that gang-related factors increase the risk that a victim is shot across the full spectrum of crime situations. We discuss the implications for problem-oriented crime prevention.

Authors

• Jeffrey Brantingham, University of California, Los Angeles

• Craig D. Uchida, Justice & Security Strategies