Decreasing gang activity in inner city neighborhoods is an essential component to reducing violence and improving our society as a whole. This study was conducted to help generate awareness and a better understanding as to how schools can be best utilized as a protective factor against youth gang activity. The participants consisted of 6 educators…

Focuses on one aspect of contemporary youth violence, youth gangs and groups, in effort to open broad discussion of youth gangs and frame the process of developing a comprehensive prevention/intervention strategy in proyouth way. Examines three ways of framing youth gang phenomenon: youth violence as racism, alienation, and criminality. Considers…

Looks at the organization of street gangs and suggests that some of the same concepts used to describe family systems may be applied to them. States that the complex organization of gangs forms a web of interconnectedness, and that in order to provide effective intervention plans, gangs must be viewed from a systematic and holistic perspective.…

The increasingly serious nature of juvenile criminal behavior has led to greater efforts to understand the roots, causes, and correlates of juvenile violence and chronic delinquency, as well as develop more effective means of identifying at-risk youth and treating serious and violent juvenile offenders. This book examines the realities and…

This congressional hearing report highlights some of the steps people are taking to divert and prevent youth from becoming involved in gang activities. Testimony and prepared statements include those from Joseph Gonzales, Field Organizer of the Youth Volunteer Corps from Kansas City; Kathy Masera, President of the California Job Journal; Ron…

A common misconception about gangs is that they resemble past images of motorcycle riders. Society is now faced with what are called "hybrid" gangs whose members are usually 14 to 16 years of age, who dress conservatively, who display subtle gang identifiers, and who are motivated by a combination of profit and poor family life. This…

Seattle's SafeFutures project focuses on intervention for children involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, the juvenile-justice system, particularly Cambodian and Vietnamese youth; girls involved with gangs; and violent, chronic juvenile offenders. Project services include classes on social and cultural issues for Asian parents, tutoring…

This document presents witness testimonies and prepared statements from a Senate hearing held in Atlanta, Georgia to examine the problem of crime among youth and to discuss the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. In his opening statement, Senator Fowler notes that the reauthorization puts greater…

The phrase "prosocial gang" may seem a contradiction but such gangs do exist. This book describes a gang intervention program, Aggression Replacement Training (ART), which resulted in reduced arrest rates among violent gangs in a large urban area. The book opens with a list of prosocial gangs followed by an analysis of the development,…

This bulletin examines manifestations of street violence (bullying, gangs, weapons possession and use, substance abuse, and community violence) threatening schools and describes steps that concerned citizens are taking to restore security and calm. Schoolyard bullying can be mitigated by widely publicized rules, buddy systems, parent education…