Since the 1980s, youth gangs in the United States have been the subject of intensive law enforcement and media attention. The mere presence of gang members on the streets frightens residents and causes them to curtail their outdoor activities. Gangs elicit fear in residents because of their visibility and recognizability. The current research examined fear of gangs among youth. Participants were Chicago high school students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The questionnaire data for the study were obtained from a purposive sample of Chicago public school students enrolled in eighteen schools throughout the city. The research examined in separate models students 'fear of gangs. Predictor variables included trust in the police, perceived police-neighborhood relations, antisocial behaviors, and police stops. African American youth appear to be less fearful of gangs than White and Latino youth. Being stopped by the police, having delinquent beliefs, and being a gang member were also all associated with a lesser fear of gangs.
