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Violence is a part of life out here. In our ‘hood you see violence all the time, and that’s what time it is. Either you stay ready or it’s gonna get you... To me, selling dope is the best thing a young girl can do in trying to make it in the streets. Call us a gang or whatever you want. What we is, is getting paid. – Dewana, 20, member of drug gang (Taylor:1993, 32) Violence is a reality for the youth of America, gang violence being one of the fastest growing forms. While overall crime rates have decreased, it is becoming more common for the youth to the perpetrators. Our youth are increasingly the perpetrators and victims of some of society’s most violent crimes. Until recently, the rate of youth violence has climed drastically, between 1984 and 1993, the rate of homicides commited by juveniles increased 169%. (Walker:1993, 506) Gangs have become violent street families for many of our youth. Less than twenty years ago fewer than half of US cities reported gang activity, now 95% of the largest cities and 88% of smaller cities suffer gang-related crime. With the ever increasing population, according to demographic experts there will be a doubling of juvenile arrests for violent crimes by the year 2010. (US Depart