Street Gangs on YouTube: Findings from Two Countries

• In Event: Understanding the Complex World of Gangs (Eurogang Panel)

Abstract

This paper presents content analyses of YouTube videos featuring gang members from London, UK, and upstate New York, USA. Content is compared and contrasted across countries and lyrical and visual themes of drugs and violence are explored in terms of their expressive and instrumental value for gangs. This paper further examines how gang-related social media content is made, coordinated, and distributed, which, in turn, speaks to gang processes, impression management, and how the online and offline worlds of gangs are increasingly connected.

Author

• James A. Densley, Metropolitan State University