Pulling together the most salient, current issues in the field today, The Handbook of Gangs provides a significant assessment by leading scholars of key topics related to gangs, gang members, and responses to gangs. * Chapters cover a wide array of the most prominent issues in the field of gangs, written by scholars who have been leaders in developing new ways of thinking about the topics * Delivers cutting-edge reviews of the current state of research and practice and addresses where the field has been, where it is today and where it should go in the future * Includes extensive coverage of the individual theories of delinquency and provides special emphasis on policy and prevention program implications in the study of gangs * Offers a broad understanding of how other countries deal with gangs and their response to gangs, including Great Britain, Latin America, Australia and Europe * Chapters covering the legacies of four pioneers in gang research--Malcolm W. Klein, Walter B. Miller, James F. Short Jr., and Irving A. Spergel