The Northern Triangle of Central America faces many challenges, including violence and crime. Young people are the most common victims as well as perpetrators of violence, especially gang-related violence. That is why Glasswing International is committed to providing children, adolescents, and youth with tools to prevent violence and opportunities…

This paper aims to address cultural education as a method for creating a cooperative learning environment for Latino youth participants of a school-based gang and violence intervention program (GVIP). The data for this paper was collected during a 5-year longitudinal ethnographic research study conducted between 2009-2015 in California. In the…

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…

Moral panics relating to anti-social youth have accelerated in recent years, and there has been an increasing recognition that preventing problematic behaviour is more effective than sanctions once it occurs. Drawing upon General Strain Theory, this paper explores the social pressures that might stimulate anti-social behaviour and gang culture. It…

Teaching youths who affiliate with a gang can be a daunting task. Risk factors for gang membership often compound across life domains and affect pro-social connectedness, cause feelings of marginalization, and hinder life-skill development. Sports and physical activities that are structured within a positive youth-development framework provide an…

Gangs have a long history in Cape Town and children tend to begin involvement around age 12. Children's views on causes of children's involvement in gangs and appropriate interventions, were sought for inclusion in policy recommendations. Thirty focus group discussions were held with in- and out-of-school youth in different communities.…

As cities across the country and globe continue to generate new solutions to a wide variety of vexing problems, sharing information about what works and what doesn't has become more important than ever. Yet, outside of a few prominent policies, the vast majority of successful municipal experiments never reach a national audience or, for that…

Youths in gang-ridden neighborhoods are at risk for trauma-related mental health disorders, which are early indicators of likely school failure and delinquency. Such youths rarely seek out services for these problems. The Juvenile Intervention and Prevention Program (JIPP), a school-based gang intervention and prevention program in Los Angeles,…

On June 30, 2010, California awarded $3 million to support teacher recruitment and training through the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) initiative, which assists young adults at risk of joining gangs in finding employment or pursuing an education. California chose to fund six Career Pathways Partnership projects as…

This bulletin presents research on why youth join gangs and how a community can build gang prevention and intervention services. The author summarizes recent literature on gang formation and identifies promising and effective programs for gang prevention. The following are some key findings: (1) Youth join gangs for protection, enjoyment, respect,…

In 2006, more than 6 million individuals were victimized by violent crimes. Although violence is below levels of the early 1990s, it remains high. The extent of violence and its impact highlight a critical need to develop and implement effective programs to reduce violence and victimization. Communities have initiated a wide range of such…

Evidence was gathered from those involved with at-risk children and juvenile offenders in Maine on how the Federal Government can best help states and communities battle juvenile crime. The kinds of prevention and intervention programs that work were considered, with the allocation of public resources an underlying concern. Panels of educators,…

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…

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…

Many times, young people can make a significant impact on their communities. An example of this potential is evident in the Minnesota statewide youth program, in which at-risk youth rebuild their neighborhoods. The program enables young people to gain job skills while working toward their high school diploma or GED, to play a respected role in…