From School Library Journal Grade 8 Up–This anthology contains material taken from periodicals, books, and position papers. The sections focus on whether the problem is a serious one, the factors that encourage gang behavior, ways that the legal system can best reduce gang violence, and what the community (including parents) can do to address the issue. Each chapter includes a preface about the articles that follow and a periodicals bibliography to supplement the views presented. A few graphs and reprints of political cartoons are included. End matter offers questions that might be used to generate discussion in a classroom setting or provide avenues for student debate, research, or position papers. Organizations concerned with gangs and gang violence are listed. The Gale Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center contains all but four of the articles in this book, so libraries that own this online database will be duplicating content. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as students often need both print and electronic references when completing research.
