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Over the last 25 years, the overall levels of violent crime rate dramatically declined in the United States, yet, in major urban centers, gang-related violence continues to be a serious concern. In order to understand gang violence, it is necessary to consider the complicated relationship violence has with gang identity, victimization, participation, gender, spatial proximity, and social distance. Gang violence plays an important role in the creation and maintenance of the group’s collective identity. Additionally, gang violence is not limited to only symbolic purposes (e.g., reputation) but can also serve instrumental (e.g., profit generation) purposes for a group. At the individual level, the risk/protective factors (e.g., gender, age, education) attributed to participation in gang violence and being a victim of gang violence are important to consider. At the group level, gang violence is defined by two unique features: social and spatial …