Are gangs just made up of kids and teenagers?

Surprisingly, juveniles under the age of 18 make up only a small percentage of a gang’s membership. Many hard-core and associate gang members are individuals in their twenties who may have been incarcerated either in the local jail, state prison, or both. Older members recruit children to do many of the gang’s illegal activities, knowing that if kids get caught, they will usually receive a much lighter sentence than adults will. It should also be noted that in some areas of the country, particularly in economically depressed areas and where jobs are scarce, gang members are joining up for the first time while in their 20’s. This is done for financial reasons.