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James C. (Buddy) HowellNational Gang Center

UCLA School of Public AffairsJanuary 13, 2011

Gang Trends and Solutions

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Topics:

Gang Activity Patterns, 1996-2009 Starter Gangs & Gang Joining Windows of Opportunity for Prevention The Moving To Opportunity Experiment Implications for Prevention and Intervention

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National Youth Gang Survey (NYGS) 1996–2001 NYGS Sample (n=3,018)

Police departments serving cities with populations of 25,000 or more (n=1,216) Suburban county police and sheriffs’ departments (n=661) Randomly selected sample of police departments serving cities with populations

between 2,500 and 24,999 (n=398) Randomly selected sample of rural county police and sheriffs’ departments

(n=743) 2002–Current NYGS Sample (n=2,546)

Police departments serving cities with populations of 50,000 or more (n=622) – larger cities

Suburban county police and sheriffs’ departments (n=739) Randomly selected sample of police departments serving cities with populations

between 2,500 and 49,999 (n=693) – smaller cities Randomly selected sample of rural county police and sheriffs’ departments

(n=492)

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Notes: Best fitting model includes six groups with quadratic polynomial functions (BIC = -1892.99)

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Chicago Homicide Trends

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Percent of Chicago Murder Victims of Street Gang Altercations versus Other Events

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Number of Gang Homicides, LA County & CA, Hispanic Males Ages 10-24 (Tita & Abrahamse, 2010)

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The Prevention EnterpriseStarter Gangs & Gang Joining

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Starter Gangs The youngest gangs are formed by small groups of rejected, alienated, and

aggressive children (ages 10-13) The groups of children that form gangs are more likely to attend “difficult

schools” Children who also are alienated from parents are susceptible to delinquent

group formation and participation They begin to identify with each other and they may give themselves a

name They adopt elements of the gang culture, including distinctive clothing,

colors, rituals, regular gatherings, and exclude other children Regular group involvement in illegal activity is the next step Conflict with school officials or other authorities and commitment to a

criminal orientation give the group cohesion

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Seven Steps to Gang Joining

In elementary school, children hear about gangs. Seeing these gangs at middle school validates them. At school, gangs and other groups have hangout areas. Intergroup conflicts increase in intensity and frequency. The most vulnerable children are alienated and vulnerable. To be isolated is to invite disaster. Casual gang associations occur; bonding begins An initiation (a “baptism”) into the gang; full commitment.

Source: Vigil (1993). “The established gang”

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Windows of Opportunity

A g e 3

F a m i l y

A g e 6

S c h o o l

A g e 9

P e e r G r o u p

A g e 1 2

I n d i v i d u a lC h a r a c t e r i s t i c s

A g e 1 5

C o m m u n i t y

A g e 1 8

E l e m e n t a r yS c h o o lF a i l u r e

C o n d u c tP r o b l e m s

C h i l dD e l i n q u e n c y

G a n gM e m b e r

S e r i o u s a n dV i o l e n t

D e l i n q u e n c y

P r e v e n t i o n I n t e r v e n t i o n S u p p r e s s i o n

R i s k a n d P r o t e c t i v e F a c t o r s

Source: Howell 2003©

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The Moving to Opportunity Experiment

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing Demonstration (1995) Housing subsidies were offered to give families in high-

poverty areas, giving them a chance to move to lower-poverty neighborhoods;

As expected, women and girls in the experimental families cited a general sense of safety as their biggest gain.

These girls were less likely to use marijuana and to be arrested (violent & property crimes) than control group girls.

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The Moving to Opportunity Experiment cont’d

Female experimental-group participants reported less harassment from men and boys to engage in sexual behavior, and, as a result, said they were less fearful.

But relocated boys seemed to have not benefited at all, and their behavior worsened in some respects: more behavior problems, more likely to smoke, more likely to be arrested for property crimes, and—perhaps most surprising—were no less likely to be arrested for violent crimes than their counterparts in the control group.

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The Moving to Opportunity Experiment cont’d

Experimental group girls were able to benefit more from low-poverty neighborhoods than boys; with their mother’s protective support they negotiated peer interactions in pro-social school networks that facilitated acclimation into low-poverty neighborhoods.

Many of the boys maintained “risky ties” to old friends and relatives. In contrast, control group boys who remained behind seemed more adept at avoid neighborhood trouble in more familiar surroundings.

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How to Build a Continuum of Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Components

Prevention to reduce gang joining Intervention Teams to remove youths from gangs &

outreach work with at risk youths and gang members In collaboration with Intervention Teams,

Suppression Strategies that involve working with active gang members, and targeting older violent gang members and gangs with arrests and prosecution

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Prevention Programs and Strategies That Target Risk Factors G.R.E.A.T. Students and G.R.E.A.T. Families (individual &

family) School suspensions: (individual & school) Chronic Truancy Initiative (school) Boys & Girls Clubs Street Smart (individual) Afterschool programs (individual, school & family) Parent & teacher gang awareness training (school & family) Tutoring (school)

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Intervention Programs and Strategies That Target Risk FactorsFamily therapy and parent training (family & individual)Mentoring (individual, family, school, peer group)Santa Cruz Co. Juv. Hall Neutral Zone (individual, peers)Aggression Replacement Training (individual, peer group)Substance abuse treatment (individual)Mental health treatment (individual)Intervention Team (individual – case management)

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Gang Programs that Demonstrated Evidence of EffectivenessPrevention:Gang Resistance Education and TrainingMontreal Preventive Treatment Program

Intervention:Aggression Replacement Training Operation New Hope Aggressive Behavioral Control ProgramCeasefire-Chicago

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Gang Programs that Demonstrated Evidence of Effectiveness cont’dSuppression:Hardcore Gang Investigations Unit Tri-Agency Resource Gang Enforcement TeamOperation Ceasefire-Los Angeles

Comprehensive Model:Comprehensive Gang Prevention, Intervention & SuppressionModel

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Comprehensive Gang Prevention, Intervention & Suppression Model

Key features of structure in effective implementations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Richmond, VA

Program Structure: A multi-faceted, involving multi-layered interacting strategies of the steering committee, the lead agency, and an interagency street team (with outreach workers)

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Comp Gang Model Program Resources Best Practices To Address Community Gang Problems:

OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model (2010) A Guide to Assessing Your Community’s Youth Gang

Problem (2009) OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model: Planning for

Implementation (2009)These pubs and other resources are available at the National Gang Center (www.nationalgangcenter.gov) OJJDP Strategic Planning Tool

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Conclusions Seriousness of gang activity trumps prevalence. Stability of serious gang problems is reflected in gang

trajectories seen in the NYGS. Despite the recent crime and violence drop, gang

violence remains high in the U.S. Prevention and intervention can be successful if

evidence based practices and services are used. Several comprehensive anti-gang models are effective. Success with gangs and members does not come easy.