Gangs and Social Media in the Digital Age

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

The rise of social media has fundamentally reshaped how gangs establish status, perform identity, and engage in conflict. While traditional gang structures relied on physical presence and localized networks, digital platforms have expanded their reach, creating new avenues for visibility and influence. This session explores the evolving role of social media in shaping gang dynamics, focusing on how women navigate and perform gang identity in digital spaces, how engagement-driven content blurs the line between authenticity and performance, and how gang communication and identity have transformed across different technological eras. Additionally, this session considers how different professional constituencies—academics, law enforcement, policymakers, and community advocates—conceptualize gangs through distinct frames, shaping public understanding and institutional responses. By examining these shifts, this session highlights the complex interplay between technology, culture, and gang affiliation in the digital age.

Sub Unit

• Area IV. Correlates of Crime / 24. Gangs and Co-offenders

Individual Presentations

• Scrolling Through the Streets: Exploring Women’s Gang-Related Digital Identities - Margaret Clare Doyle, University of Oklahoma; John Leverso, University of Cincinnati; Meredith Worthen, University of Oklahoma

• Reputation, Realness, and the Algorithm: Gangs in the TikTok Era - Chris Hess, Kennesaw State University; Kristonn Stubbs, University of Cincinnati; John Leverso, University of Cincinnati; James Densley, Metro State University

• The American Street Gang, Revisited: Six Perspectives on the “g-word” in the 21st century - David Pyrooz, University of Colorado Boulder

• Chicago Gang Evolution: Crime, Culture, and Control from the Era of Mixtapes to the time of TikTok - John Leverso, University of Cincinnati; James Densley, Metro State University

Discussant

• Kate K. O'Neill, University of Iowa