Previous theories of gangs have largely ignored a crucial aspect of the motivation young males have for joining gangs: a desire for increased sexual access to females. We first argue that an understanding of the evolutionary psychology of sex and reproductive competition can account for the typical age and sex compositions of gangs. We then review the anecdotal evidence from the gang research literature concerning the role of sexual access to females in the motivation of males who join gangs. Finally, we present an analysis of a unique study of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) outbreak that occurred in Colorado Springs, Colorado, between 1989 and 1991. This analysis revealed that the 57 male gang members involved in the outbreak had a significantly (p < .03) higher average number of sex partners than did the 63 male non‐gang members who were also involved in the outbreak.
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Palmer et al. (1995) studied this question.