Scrolling Through the Streets: Exploring Women’s Gang-Related Digital Identities

• In Event: Gangs and Social Media in the Digital Age

Abstract

Research on urban street gangs has found that most gang members actively engage with internet platforms, using them as “virtual street corners” to perform collective identities. While prior studies suggest that women in these spaces are less central to hostile and cooperative exchanges, little research connects their digital behavior to theories on the performance of feminine and gangster identities. This study examines how girls and women engage in online gang-affiliated spaces, using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative coding and qualitative thematic analysis. Data was collected through web-scraping a public Facebook page dedicated to Latina/o gangs in Chicago, focusing on comments and replies posted by women between January 2015 and November 2016. Findings support prior research suggesting that digital street interactions mirror real-world dynamics, with most comments being non-aggressive. However, some women engaged in online posturing and threats of violence, requiring further analysis. Thematic analysis led to the construction of a typology of engagement styles: Observational, Confrontational, Regulatory, and Adaptive. These styles reflect varying performances of gendered and gangster identities, highlighting the agency of girls and women in gang culture. This study advances our understanding of how women navigate gang spaces by strategically blending traditionally feminine and masculine behaviors.

Authors

• Margaret Clare Doyle, University of Oklahoma

• John Leverso, University of Cincinnati

• Meredith Worthen, University of Oklahoma