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The Evolution of Prominent Youth Subcultures in America
by Michelle Arciaga, National Youth Gang Center

On April 20, 1999, two young men walked into a suburban high school and opened fire on their classmates and teachers. In the aftermath of this mass killing, newspapers and media outlets speculated about the clothing, appearance, and musical interests of these young men, including information that they had worn black trench coats and listened to the music of Marilyn Manson. News teams worked overtime to gather information on the Gothic movement, which was linked with these individuals early in the incident because other teens reported that the perpetrators frequently wore black.

An article in the Washington Post reported on April 21, 1999: The shooters who turned Columbine High School into an unspeakable landscape of carnage yesterday were members of a small clique of outcasts who always wore black trench coats and spent their entire adolescence deep inside the morose subculture of Gothic fantasy.[1] ABCs 20/20 news program aired a show on the Columbine Massacre on April 21, 1999, as well, reporting: The boys may have been part of a dark, underground national phenomenon known as the Gothic Movementsome of these Goths may have killed beforethe so called Gothic Movement has helped fuel a new kind of teenage gangwhite suburban gangs built around a fascination with the grotesque and with death.[2]

Later reports by law enforcement officers investigating the case show the boys were not involved in the Gothic subculture and that the media reporting contained gross misrepresentations of this particular subculture. Part of the misunderstanding on the part of the media may be related to the dramatic growth of subcultures like Gothic in the U.S., as well as the physical appearance of Gothics, which is sometimes bizarre. As a result, these subcultures presently represent a challenge for law enforcement agencies, both in accurate identification and in appropriate response.


On the surface, subcultures can appear to be gangs. People in subcultures may have similar dress or appearance, musical tastes, and values and beliefs. In some cases, smaller subgroups within these subcultures could be defined as gangs based on the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations (NAGIA) recommended definition for the term gang:

Gang. A group or association of three or more persons who may have a common identifying sign, symbol, or name and who individually or collectively engage in, or have engaged in, criminal activity which creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Criminal activity includes juvenile acts that if committed by an adult would be a crime.

However, subcultures are different from gangs in several ways:

  • Subcultures are large and non-exclusive. Any individual who wishes to claim participation in the subculture can do so, and there are no membership requirements or initiations. This is a distinct difference from the typical street gang or security-threat group.

  • Subcultures are generally not very organized or are not organized at all. There is no clear hierarchy or leadership. The rules for participation are not consistent or clear.

  • Subcultures typically are not crime-focused. While a very small percentage (3-5%) of individuals within a subculture might commit isolated criminal acts (and this percentage tends to mirror the U.S. population as a whole), the majority of subculture members are not criminally involved at all. This is a key factor that separates gangs from other groups of youths or young adults.

Conversely, gang members commit three times as many crimes as other types of juvenile delinquents, according to a Department of Justice study. Generally, gang members tend to be the most criminally involved group within any juvenile population. So, crime plays a key role in distinguishing a subculture from a street gang. Questions that can assist with this determination include the following:

  • Are a large percentage of group members involved in criminal activities?
  • Are the criminal activities committed to further the goals of the group or in combination with other members of the group?
  • Is the group bullying or intimidating other youth?
  • Is the group exclusive?
  • Is there a clear process for joining the group?
  • Are there consequences to youths who attempt to leave the group?

Unlike a street gang, a subculture takes a smaller bit of mainstream life and focuses attention and emphasis on it, sometimes taking this emphasis to extremes. This focus can include religious beliefs, cultural factors, and even political views. Subcultures have been part of human culture for thousands of years. The term subculture encompasses a huge universe of human behavior, ranging from religious fundamentalists to environmentalists and vegetarians in todays society. In many cases, subcultures have influenced American culture in profound ways. A good example of a non-criminal subculture in the U.S. is Hip Hop, which has, in the past 15 years, significantly influenced youth music and fashion trends. In many cases, the mainstream culture eventually absorbs the subculture. This absorption of a subculture is a continuing process. For example, the Hippies of the 1960s were gradually absorbed into the mainstream, and changed the overall culture of the U.S. as they aged.

This articles in this section will focus primarily on contemporary youth subcultures. The profiled groups are made up of predominantly white, suburban, middle-class youth. They are only a piece of the universe of subcultures, but they are highly visible in todays society and often engender confusion and misperceptions on the part of adults. Subcultures can vary tremendously from one region to another. For that reason, it is recommended that individuals who are seeking further information on these groups contact their local gang investigators' association or law enforcement agency. These articles have been included as a service to investigators in an effort to correct misinformation, examine how these groups evolved, identify warning signs for determining if these groups are evolving into gang-like behaviors, and provide basic information designed to answer questions from concerned community members.