Neo-Nazi ideology combined with the gang lifestyle provides Skinheads with a seductive sense of strength, group belonging and superiority over others. Invocation of Viking imagery offers the Skinhead a perception of himself as a racial warrior. The Skinheads glorify Hitler and aspire to create his vision of a world-wide, pan-Aryan Reich. These strands - a sense of power, of belonging, of destiny - combine to create the appeal the Skinhead movement holds for disaffected youngsters.

Skinhead violence differs little from one country to the next. When on the prowl, they seek out members of hated groups and attack them. While their means of attack varies, Skinheads take special pride in using their boots as weapons. Vandalism is another Skinhead specialty: they scrawl racist graffiti and desecrate Jewish synagogues, cemetaries and memorials to the Holocaust.

While some Skinheads have been known to use drugs, virtually all drink. Heavy beer consumption often precedes incidents of Skinhead violence.