Evolving Patterns of Aggression: Investigating the Structure of Gang Violence during the Era of Civil Gang Injunctions

Abstract

Mapping the structural characteristics of attack behavior, this study explores how violent conflict evolved with the implementation of civil gang injunctions (CGIs). Networks were generated by linking defendants and victims named in 963 prosecutions involving street gangs active in the City of Los Angeles (1998–2013). Aggregating directed ties to 318 groups associated with the combatants, we compare four observations that correspond with distinct phases of CGI implementation—development (1998–2001), assent (2002–2005), maturity (2006–2009), and saturation (2010–2013). Using a triad census to calculate a ratio of simple patterns (retaliation, directed lines, and out-stars) to complex three-way interactions, we observed that CGIs were associated with a substantive thickening of conflict—greater complexity was found in conflict relations over time. Dissecting the nature of change, stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOMs) show that enjoined gangs are more likely to initiate transitive closure. The findings suggest that crime control efforts must make regular adjustments in response to the evolving structure of gang interactions.

Explaining the directionality of gang violence with court records

“…The results of this investigation suggest that CGIs are correlated with greater aggression (attacking behavior). These findings are consistent with other studies (Bichler et al, 2020;Swan and Bates, 2017). While CGIs limit gang activity in certain restricted areas (safety zones), as Swan and Bates (2017) note, gangs did not stop their behaviors once a CGI was imposed on them.…”

“…Gang violence was originally mapped from court transcripts available through Westlaw and LexisNexis (Bichler et al, 2020). Cases were identified with a 2-step link-tracing sampling approach, which started with 80 Los Angeles-based gangs (and their cliques) named in civil injunctions enacted from February 1, 2000 to September 24, 2013.…”

“…Studies attribute the spatial distribution of gang violence to a mix of geographic factors and social proximity between gangs (Brantingham et al, 2019;Tita and Radil, 2011). To generate a valued, non-directed matrix recording the number of turfs each group had in proximity to another, we examined each gang territory using the Los Angeles Police Department Citywide Gang Injunctions map along with three interactive Google Maps of California gang territories (Bichler et al, 2020). Proceeding one gang at a time, the proximity of territories was recorded and described by type of connectivity.…”

“…Not all violent conflict results in an arrest, let alone a successful prosecution or appeal. Research is needed to establish the effect court processes have on sample representativeness in support of social justice (Bichler et al, 2020).…”

“…Mapping the social connectivity and spatial proximity of gangs is a critical exercise in support of targeted approaches to reducing violence (Kennedy et al, 1997), including focused group-based and place-based efforts directed toward reducing gun violence (Braga et al, 2019) and disrupting street drug markets (Madensen et al, 2017). While descriptive mapping efforts can be effective policing tools, using court data also stands to advance our capacity to develop empirically sound theory to explain differential behavior, thereby enhancing the possibility of generating evidence-based prosecutorial intervention strategies (Bichler et al, 2020). One advantage of court data is that the standards of evidence necessary for criminal convictions, particularly when gang enhancement penalties are involved, ensure that reported gang affiliations and event context are more complete and accurate than if extracted from incident reports; thereby, generating greater confidence that mapped networks record confirmed conflict relations.…”