Gang Girls: Agency, Sexual Identity and Victimisation ‘On Road’

This chapter explores the experience of girls and young women involved in gang life. By drawing upon the testimony of gang-associated young people we ask whether young women are able to exercise enough power to build a credible identity and avoid victimisation in a patriarchal subculture that favours and fosters the agency of young men and positions young women as subordinate. We argue that young women are subjected to restrictions when attempting to build a credible identity, which puts them at risk of sexual violence. We suggest that some girls are in a no-win situation and end up ‘getting played’