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This article provides a critique of social profiling in relation to ethnically identified youth gangs by considering the fluid nature of social identity and the ambiguities of gang formation. It begins by outlining the nature of youth group affiliation and association, and the multilayered ways in which social identity is constructed. This is followed by a brief review of key propositions relating to youth gangs, derived from international gang research over the last decade. The final section of the paper presents two models of social profiling, one of which is based upon actual criminal events, the other on prediction of 'risk'. It is argued that anti-gang intervention based upon a type of social profiling that net-widens will most likely compound the very problem it is intended to address.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	ethnic youth gangs, fluid identities, group association, social profiling
Research Division:	Human Society
Research Group:	Sociology
Research Field:	Applied sociology, program evaluation and social impact assessment
Objective Division:	Law, Politics and Community Services
Objective Group:	Work and labour market
Objective Field:	Employment patterns and change
UTAS Author:	White, R (Professor Rob White)
ID Code:	53606
Year Published:	2008
Deposited By:	Sociology and Social Work
Deposited On:	2008-12-17
Last Modified:	2016-09-30
Downloads:	5 View Download Statistics