NCJ Number
244874
Journal
Criminology & Public Policy Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: July 2013 Pages: 7-41
Date Published
July 2013
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This study examined the ways that civil gang injunctions either strengthen or weaken the gang as a group.
Abstract
This study examined the use of civil gang injunctions to change the dynamic of gangs as a group. A civil gang injunction involves the use of "civil lawsuits to prohibit members of the gang from engaging in activities that have been shown to contribute to the harm gangs cause, such as associating with other gang members in public, trespassing on private property, and marking their territory with graffiti." The study found that gang-involved youth in areas under a CGI had no difference in expectations of being caught and punished for criminal or violent activities than gang-involved youth in areas with no CGIs. The study also found no significant changes in levels of cohesion, both general and street, among gang-involved youth in CGI areas and gang-involved youth in areas with no CGIs. In addition, the study did not find significant differences in rates of involvement in criminal and violent activities between gang-involved youth in CGI areas and the control group. Data for the study were obtained from a sample of youth, n = 543, interviewed about the level of gang-involvement. The study analyzed measures of cohesion and street cohesion, measures of strength of social identify, and measures of criminal and violent activities to determine the effect of CGIs on group dynamics of gangs. The study's findings suggest that the use of CGIs can have an impact on the strength of identification with the gang, which in turn can mediate crime and violence rates by the gang. Study limitations and implications for policy are discussed. Tables, figures, and references