NCJ Number
142532
Date Published
1992
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper opens a broad discussion of youth gangs/groups and frames the process of developing a comprehensive prevention/intervention pro-youth strategy.
Abstract
The discussion is based in two perceptions: that how the problem of youth gangs is defined or framed will shape solutions and that the process of developing a comprehensive pro-youth prevention/intervention strategy will be the message of the strategy. The paper proposes first principles for the development of a comprehensive pro-youth strategy. The strategy recognizes the power and creativity of youth and will attempt to validate the creativity, power, and knowledge of youth by involving them directly in the process of naming the problem underlying youth gangs and composing the solutions. Another principle of the strategy is that youth learn responsible behaviors by having responsibility. This means having a voice with respect to their schools and education, social services, community programs, and in government policy and planning that affects their lives. The strategy will also encourage peer self-help for gang members; recognize the need for community-driven solutions; appreciate that there is a link between the economy and families, communities, minorities, and youth at risk; and affirm that youth caught willfully committing criminal acts must be held accountable for their behavior, using alternatives to the criminal justice system whenever possible. The strategy will also address the need to improve the way society's basic institutions, notably the family, the school, and the government, relate to and influence youth.