National Youth Gang Survey Analysis

Gang-Problem Assessment Trend

Respondents annually provided information regarding an overall assessment of their local gang problems: “getting worse,” “getting better,” or “staying about the same.”

  • Less than 40 percent of gang-problem jurisdictions indicated that their local gang problems were “getting worse” in 2009, the lowest figure since 2003.
  • Conversely, half (50 percent) of the survey respondents characterized their gang problems as “staying about the same” in 2009, the largest percentage ever recorded in the NYGS.
  • These figures varied very little within area types across the years.

Gang-Problem Assessment Trend, 2002-2009 Bar Chart

Gang-Problem Assessment Trend, 2002–2009
Year “Getting Worse” Percent
2002 41.3
2003 37.9
2004 48.2
2005 54.5
2006 54.9
2007 49.3
2008 44.8
2009 37.9

Analysis for this section pertains only to law enforcement agencies reporting gang problems. Please see the Prevalence of Gang Problems section.

Table of Contents

Suggested citation: National Gang Center. National Youth Gang Survey Analysis. Retrieved [date] from http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Survey-Analysis.