Changing Course: Preventing Gang Membership, Chapter 8. What Should Be Done in the Community to Prevent Gang-Joining? (From Changing Course: Preventing Gang Membership, P 105-119, 2013, Thomas R. Simon, Nancy M. Ritter, and Reshma R. Mahendra, eds. - See NCJ-239234)

• NCJ Number: 243472
• Author(s): Jorja Leap
• Date Published: 2013
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Book Chapter; Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Issue Overview; Instructional Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter profiles a few comprehensive, community-based efforts to prevent youth from joining gangs, and it proposes conceptualizing community-based gang-prevention strategies based on principles that are cost-effective.

Abstract

The chapter concludes that community-based prevention of gang-joining remains one of the best ways to reduce gang membership and violence. Such efforts offer the chance to empower the people who are most directly affected by gangs. Based on research findings, the core components essential to a successful community-based initiative include mentoring, parental involvement, skill-building, and opportunities for prosocial involvement. A number of examples of community-based gang-prevention programs are provided. These include the Communities That Care (CTC) operating system, which uses a public health approach to facilitate a range of positive youth outcomes; the Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development Program (BUILD) , which uses multiple, targeted prevention strategies to reduce gang violence in some of Chicago's most disadvantaged, crime-impacted neighborhoods; and Canada's Preventive Treatment Program (PTP), which is designed to reduce antisocial behavior among disadvantaged boys from 7 to 9 years old. From these and other community-based prevention programs, this chapter proposes six principles upon which community-based prevention programs should be based. First, build a community's prevention operating system. Second, develop multidisciplinary collaboration so as to ensure "seamlessness." Third, start early in addressing antisocial and problem behaviors displayed in a school context. Fourth, take a comprehensive approach. Fifth, address core components of delinquency prevention. Sixth, replace and exceed the attraction of gangs in developing age-appropriate, interesting prosocial activities in the community. Policies and strategies related to each of these principles are identified and discussed. 1 figure and 22 chapter notes