JUVENILE GANGS

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JUVENILE GANGS
Laura Kallus panZOu project
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What is a Gang?

• A formal or informal ongoing organization,
  association, or group that has as one of its
  primary activities the commission of criminal or
  delinquent acts, and that consists of three or
  more persons who have a common name or common
  identifying signs, colors or symbols and have two
  or more members who, individually or
  collectively, engage in or have engaged in a
  pattern of criminal street gang activity. -
  874.03 (1)

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Gangs in the US

• An estimated 24,500 gangs exist in the US
• 772, 500 active gang members
• Mostly males ages 15-17
• Cities with emerging gang problems report more
  females and more mixed race/ethnic groups than
  those with long term gang problems
• 2000 Youth Gang Survey

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Characteristics of Florida Gangs
Characteristics of Hispanic Gangs

• Generally modeled after LA gangs
• Loosely organized
• Turf oriented
• Graffiti
• Colors
• Hand signs

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Graffiti
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Getting In

• Jumped in
• Everybody sets the rules not to hit in the face
  and to wrestle. The 1st person on the ground
  that was it. You dont continue fighting.
• Sexed In
• Back in the day, the leader used to do the girls
  when they tried to get in the gang. Sometimes,
  lets say you at a skipping party and theres
  only 2 girls trying to get in, all of them the
  boys will do it. If its like 4 guys, all of
  them will do it.

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Why join?

• What are the pressures that push youth towards
  gangs?
• What does a gang have to offer our youth?
• What important needs are being met through gang
  membership?

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When does it start?
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What are the pressures that push youth towards
gangs?
Family, Peer
Community, School
Individual
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Impoverished Communities

• Chronic unemployment or underemployment
• Drugs and weapons easily available
• Gangs, Crime and violence become normalized
• Institutionalized prejudice/racism

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Family Stress

• Unstable/broken home
• Economic instability
• Low educational attainment expectations
• Alcoholism/drug abuse

• Family members in gang
• Parent/sibling criminality
• Neglect
• Violence
• Verbal, physical, sexual abuse

I never get along with my fatherhe used to beat
my mom, you know. And I didn't like that stuff
and I used to fight with my dad too. I used to
fight him too when I seen my mom fighting with
him. When I was real skinny and tiny he used to
grab me from my throat and put me down on the
floor like nothing...like a piece of trash. -
Cristopher
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Impoverished Schools

• Under-funded, under-staffed, under-resourced
• Disorganized
• Limited enrichment courses
• Zero-tolerance policy

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Developmental Theory of Gang Membership

• Community, Family, Individual, School, Peer
  Domains
• Preschool
• Aggression, defiance
• School entry
• Aggression, defiance, conduct disorder, negative
  early school experience, lack of pro-social peer
  group
• Adolescence
• Low educational achievement, lack of school
  bonding, aggression, defiance, violence,
  delinquency, gang membership

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What does the gang offer?

• Money I used to poor, real poor. I used to be
  wanting to have the money because when you be
  having the money people be respecting you.
• Fun You chill with all your friends, go to
  parties, you got a rack of girls
• Girls

• Escape Problems at home
• Power Nobody touch you
• Respect You dont be scared of nobody
• Protection
• Fame

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What needs are met by gang membership?

• Love and acceptance
• Structure
• Esteem and self worth
• Empowerment
• Status
• Support
• Recognition

• A sense of belonging and commitment
• The need for unique/special identity
• collective identity/group membership
• individual identity

So I said, what the hell, Im in the street. I
aint doing shit. I aint worth shit. Let me
change my life around...So I started selling
that crazy shit cocaine. Then I got more into
the gangs because then I had money, clothes. I
became a member of La Raza. I was the man
thennice clothes, nice perfume, Versace and
shit. - Chino
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Profile of a Gang Member

• Apathetic/Fatalistic
• Limited education
• Criminal past
• Substance use
• No work history

• Teenage parent
• Weak family bonds/support
• Tattooed
• Dialogue/mannerisms

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Strategies appropriate for developmental stages

• Window of opportunity ages 7-14
• FFT, MST, Strengthening Families Program
• Intensive case management
• Academic enrichment/tutoring
• Mentoring
• Pro-social peer groups recreation, skill
  building

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Strategies appropriate for developmental stages

• Ages 15-18 Patience and Tenacity
• Street outreach intensive case management that
  is long term consistent
• Multidisciplinary Intervention Team
• Opportunities provision Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

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Outreach

• Street Outreach
• Case management
• Court
• Mediation
• Crisis response
• Community service
• Referrals

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Multidisciplinary Intervention Team

• Outreach Worker Intervention Specialist
• Juvenile Probation Officers
• Trust Counselor - NMB Senior High
• Asst. Principal - JFK Middle
• NMB Police Dept - Gang Unit
• Dept. Children Families
• GUESS Program Case Managers
• Dade School Police

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Online Resources

• National Youth Gang Center
• http//www.iir.com/nygc/
• National Gang Crime Resource Center
• http//www.ngcrc.com/
• National Alliance of Gang Investigators
  Association
• http//www.nagia.org/
• Florida Gang Investigator Association
• http//www.fgia.com/home.htm
• Gangs Or Us
• http//www.gangsorus.com/
• The Coroner's Report
• http//www.gangwar.com/