Greene County JCPC Gang Identification and Prevention

1
Greene County JCPCGang Identification and
Prevention

• Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
  Prevention-Center for the Prevention of School
  Violence

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 1. Most street gang members are juveniles.
• False - The 2001 National Youth Gang
• Survey reported that 67 of gang members
• identified by law enforcement were
• ages 18 or older.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 2. Most youth gang members are members
• for 1 year or less.
• True - In areas with emerging gang
• problems, most youth report being in the
• gang for 1 year or less.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 3. Over one-half million gang members
• have been identified by police in U.S.
• cities.
• True - NYGC researchers estimate that
• approximately 760,000 gang members in 24,000
• gangs were active in the U.S. in 2004.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 4. With few exceptions, youth gang
• problems are an inner-city problem.
• False - In the past few decades, there has been a
• dramatic increase in the growth of gang problems
• in rural and suburban areas, and small cities.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

6
Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 5. Once gangs emerge in small towns and
• rural counties, they usually remain.
• False Smaller cities and suburban and
• rural counties tend to report variable gang
• problems.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 6. Gang members migrate to other
• communities primarily to establish drug
• markets.
• False The most common reasons for migration
• are social considerations, such as family
• relocation, and to be near relatives and friends.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 7. Most youth gangs are highly organized.
• False Most street gangs are only loosely
• structured, with transient leadership, and
• membership, easily transcended codes of loyalty,
• and informal roles for membership.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 8. Most youth gang members say they were forced
  to join a gang.
• False The two most common reasons youth
• join gangs are social reasons and protection.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 9. Youth gangs are heavily involved in both
  selling and operating drug distribution
  organizations.
• False Most drug distribution systems are
• managed by adult drug cartels or syndicates,
• traditional narcotic operatives, and by other
  adult
• criminal organizations.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 10. FBI definitions of a gang, gang member, and
  gang crime have been adopted by police
  departments nationwide.
• False There is no single, accepted nationwide
• definition of youth gangs. Definitions are varied
  
• within and across geographical areas.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 11. In areas that have first experienced gang
• problems in recent years, the largest
• proportion of gang members is Caucasian.
• True The newest gang problem areas
• (emergence within last 10 years) report having a
• larger proportion of white gang members.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

13
Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 12. Most former gang members say they experienced
  serious physical consequences from their gang
  when they decided to quit.
• False Studies show former gang members,
  especially marginal and short-term members, left
  without complication or any serious consequences.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Perceptions of Youth Gangs
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 13. Educating youth on the consequences of gang
  involvement is an effective way to combat gang
  involvement.
• True Early prevention works.
• National Youth Gang Center, www.iir.com/nygc.

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Gang Resources
NC DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• National Youth Gang Center (NYGC)
• 1. Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Gangs.
• http//www.iir.com/nygc/faq.htm
• 2. National Youth Gang Survey Analyses
• http//www.iir.com/nygc/nygsa

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Gangs-National Stat
DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

The percentage of students reporting the
presence of gangs at school increased from 21 to
24 percent between 2003 and 2005. Indicators
of School Crime and Safety, 2006 http//nces.ed.go
v/programs/crimeindicators/ind_08.asp
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District 8 Gang Surveys
DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• Survey Methodology
• 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in Greene,
  Lenoir, and Wayne Counties
• Administered in November 2006
• 786 surveys completed
• Survey questions were from the Natl. Youth Gang
  Center Community Guide

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Greene County Gang Surveys
DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• 96 Surveys Completed
• 51 Females (53.1) and 40 Males (41.7)
• 5 students did not answer gender question (5.2)
  

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Greene County Gang Surveys
DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence
Primary/Biological Caregiver Living Arrangements
of Students that Self-Reported Ever Being a Gang
Member

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Greene County Gang Surveys
DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence
Average Grades Earned- Average Grades of
Self-Reported Total Sample (n91) Gang Members
(n10) Mostly Fs (3.1) Mostly Fs (10)
Mostly Ds (4.2) Mostly Ds (0) Mostly Cs
(28.1) Mostly Cs (40) Mostly Bs
(36.5) Mostly Bs (20) Mostly As
(22.9) Mostly As (30) 5 students (5.2) did
not answer this question 2 self-reported gang
members did not answer ques.

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Greene County Gang Surveys
DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence
Relationship Between Self-Reporting Ever Being a
Gang Member and Suspension from School, in the
past 12 months N12 (who answered this question)

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Greene County Gang Surveys
DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• Are there gangs at your school? (students, )

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Greene County Gang Surveys
DJJDP - Center for the Prevention of School
Violence

• How often have gangs been involved in fights,
  attacks, or violence at your school in the past 6
  months? (students, )