Winner: The 2001 Frederick Milton Thrasher Award (awarded by The American Sociological Association)

Youth violence and youth gangs are serious social problems. This groundbreaking study explores how marginal male youth make sense of their physical, sexual, and emotional violence towards those they claim to love—their girlfriends—and how the abuse of girls, gays, and racial minorities is related to the development of familial and gender ideologies in the home and on the street. The construction of masculinity is revealed as an ongoing process, negotiated and developed with the resources at hand. The degree, level, and objects of individual and gang violence are linked to differences in adherence to the patterns of male behaviour and authority the child witnesses in the family and in the gang. The language these male youth use in the in-depth interviews reflects their actions and feelings: it is disturbing, yet powerful.

As well as addressing the lack of qualitative information on the subject, this book offers a practical plan for addressing youth violence. It is a valuable resource for students, parents, and professionals.

DR. MARK TOTTEN's research focuses on gangs, sexual exploitation andtrafficking, crime prevention, mental health, child maltreatment and familyviolence, bullying and harassment, corrections and policing, and gender identity.He has worked on eight major studies in this area during the past fifteen years,in research funded by public agencies like the Department of Justice Canadaand the National Crime Prevention Centre. Many of his projects involvepartnerships with Aboriginal and ethno-racial communities.

In 2011-2012, he is collaborating with groups in Ontario and WesternCanada in the development and evaluation of multi-year gang prevention,intervention, and suppression strategies.

Mark Totten is past Director of Research at the Youth Services Bureau ofOttawa (1987-2007) and has worked with high-risk children, youth, adults,and families for over thirty years. A well-known expert witness for both Crownand Defence Counsel on gangs and criminal subculture, he has written manybooks, academic articles, and government reports, including Guys, Gangs andGirlfriend Abuse (2000), When Children Kill: A Social-Psychological Studyon Youth Homicide (2002), and Promising Practices for Addressing YouthInvolvement in Gangs (2008).

Mark Totten's profile page