The Eurogang Definition

Abstract

Abstract The Eurogang definition of gangs and troublesome youth groups is now regarded as almost a standard, used by many gang researchers around the world. However, the road to reaching consensus about this definition has been a long and thorny path, and methodological debate and disputes about its application still remains. This chapter aims to provide an overview of the context in which the definition evolved, the history of its development, the rationale behind its basic elements, studies that were conducted to scrutinize the usefulness of the definition, and debates that evolved around the definition and its applicability in the current age. The chapter is based not only on various publications of the Eurogang network and other researchers, but also on recollected memories from various meetings of the Eurogang network, as well as a recent interview with Malcolm Klein, famous gang researcher and initiator of the Eurogang project.