Gang
violence among suburban and rural American youths is a growing community
problem, both for law enforcement and authorities of public schools (Simpson,
2009). Accordingly, some rural communities are refusing to accept the
prevalence of this situation, believing it to be an inner city problem.
However, based on a 2003 survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Justice, gang
violence affects both urban and rural communities. The survey indicated that
“twenty-three percent of youths in public schools between the ages of twelve
and eighteen, admitted the existence of some gang culture on their school
premises. In addition, thirty-four of urban school students reported the
existence of gang culture in their schools. Meanwhile, twenty-percent of
suburban school students, and thirteen percent of rural school students said
there were gang activities in their schools. This policy analysis identified
methods that can be used by local PTAs, school administrators, and local law
enforcement agencies to understand and address public school gang violence.
This
policy analysis discusses the important findings of an effort to understand the
effects of youth gang violence in American public schools. A number of studies
on youth gang violence were looked at, and through that, a working definition
for youth gang violence, the factors influencing youth gang violence, teen
vulnerability, and suggestions on how to address this problem.
Below
is the definition and background of the problem, a brief overview of the
literature on gang violence. Following that is a short explanation of the
methods adopted for this analysis, which has to do with summarizing the various
studies and the key legislations which went into effect as the result of this
policy analysis.
WHAT
IS GANG VIOLENCE?
Gangs
are organized groups mostly associated with illegal activities such as gun
running and drug trafficking (Trump, 1993). In 1898, H. D. Sheldon employed the
term “gang” while referring to a group of unstructured individuals engaging in
predatory acts of vandalism (as cited in Decker & van Winkle, 1996). In his
1927 epic study of 1303 Chicago gangs, F. Thrasher thoroughly defined the
inter-generational character of those neighborhoods caught in gang violence.
Accordingly, there are three characteristics that are peculiar with gang
neighbors—they are appallingly disorganized with an unstable population.
Consequently, gang is spontaneously an action by a group of boys, trying to
establish a subculture that sustains their needs in the absence of a functional
system (p. 37).
WHY
SHOULD GANG VIOLENCE MATTERS?
The
presence of gangs on school premises is not only stressful for young people,
but has been identified as one of the leading causes in school related
violence. While they may not be directly accountable for all violence in
school, in the absence of a structured system, many students in and out of
gangs are finding ways to protect themselves against school violence, by
increasingly arming themselves. Ideally, a survey conducted by the Bureau of
Justice Statistics in 1992 reported that schools with gang presence are prone
to having drugs on campus than those without. In addition, those students who
affiliate with gangs will likely show signs of fear of being the victims of
school violence than their peers who are not.
BACKGROUND
ON YOUTH GANGS
Historically,
youth gang violence especially in urban America is rapidly growing to near
moral panic (Simpson, 2009). However, the tough on crime on illegal drug
juvenile delinquency is taking attention away from understanding the shift in
youth subculture to gang violence. Gang violence among teens continues to pose
great difficulties for law enforcement officials. However, if local PTAs,
schools, local organizations team up with their law enforcement agencies, the
community could be a much safer place to reside. Understanding the seriousness
of this problem is a good way to start. According to a report by Simpson (2009)
“most communities are either in denial or are simply refusing to accept their
share of gang violence.” Moreover, those same communities believe that gang
violence among teens, is an inner city problem.
HISTORICAL PERSPECITVE OF THE PROBLEM
The
problem of youth gang culture goes as far back as Charles Dickens 1830s when he
referred to Fagin’s pack of young boys roaming the streets of London in his
novel Oliver Twist, as a gang of boys. By the turn of the twentieth century,
gangs in the United States had taken a different dimension well beyond Dickens’
literary imagination. Accordingly, gang violence was taking its toll on public
schools in urban and rural America, places that were considered neutral
(Bodinger-deUriarte, 1993).
The
presence of youth gang violence is treated with ambivalence. A number of urban
communities have historically refused to accept their share of this problem.
For instance, American male gang members were initially regarded as
underprivileged inner city immigrants, who were forcefully adventurous
(Thrasher, 1927). Consequently, some studies draw attention to organized
and integrative nature of gangs (Whyte, 1943; Spergel, 1964; Cloward &
Ohlin, 1960; Shaw & McKay, 1942). Sociologically, the problem of individual
juvenile delinquency was reevaluated as a gang problem, where a gang of boys
collectively meet to pursue a common goal (Cohen, 1955).
However,
based on a 2003 survey by the U.S. Bureau of Justice, some suburban and rural
communities have their share of this problem. Based on the report, twenty-three
percent of young people between the ages of twelve to eighteen in public schools
admitted the existence of street gang related activities within their schools.
In addition, thirty-four percent of students in urban schools admitted the
presence of gangs, while twenty percent of students in suburban schools and
thirteen percent in rural students reported gang activities.
Nonetheless,
whether urban, suburban, or rural, it is important that local community
organizations team up with their local law enforcement organizations to address
gang issues. Community organizations like PTAs could be the most important link
between the police and schools in keeping making the police a much safer place.
In addition, local PTAs could inform parents and the community at large of the
serious implication of gang violence in the community. Additionally, PTAs and
other community organizations could assist in building useful gang prevention
program. But this can only be successful if the community is fully educated on
gang related signs, and what leads to gang membership.
A
report from the William Gladden Foundation (1992) stated that “family
dysfunction and poverty” are two primary causes for youth gang affiliation.
While there many other reasons why young people affiliate with gangs, the signs
for gang affiliation are principally identified by (Gaustad, 1991) as change in
friendship, and interacting with strange people that are not known to the
family, indication of substance abuse, sudden change in demeanor, signs of
resentment toward family values including withdrawing from the rest of the
family.
Moreover,
further indications have been identified as change in dress code and fashion
taste, such as wearing a specific color or style of clothing, staying out late
and visiting places unknown to the parents, decline in school performance, and
no interest in school and community sponsored activities, increasing rebellious
behaviors toward school administrators, parents, and others, including
bullying. Furthermore, youths who affiliate with gangs are passionate about
symbols, sketched on personal possessions such as notebooks, shoes, clothes and
others. Finally, gang links are also traced to increased signs of mall shopping
for specific clothes and other items with unidentified cash, and a sudden
passion in watching, listening, collecting gang related music and videos.
Studies
have characterized youth gang violence as a psychosocial problem, while closely
examining it more from a macro-level and group perspective (Short, 1960; Short
& Strodtbeck, 1974). In his book, The Violent Gang, Yablonsky (1962)
referred to the actions of individual gang member psychopathic (as cited in
Klein, 1995). Additionally, members of street gangs involve in a number of
problems, one referred to as “cafeteria style crime”, Klein (1995, p. 22).
However,
one captivating aspect of Klein (1995) is its outright disregard for known
street corner gangs like bikers, skinheads, blood, and others, in place of
those referenced as “wannabe” groups experimenting gang life. Eggleston (2000)
referred to youth gang problem in the United States as pervasive. Further
findings of the seriousness of youth gang violence are reported in a self study
conducted by Lyon et al. (1992), which found no dissimilarity in family ties
between those who have committed serious crimes and members of gangs. However,
there was a huge contrast in behaviors.
Consequently,
gang members were found to be more aggressive with poor social skills. A much
closer look into the poor social skill of youth gang members in a related study
came to the conclusion that the aggressive individual behaviors demonstrated by
gang members signify the norm of gang culture (Thornberry et al., 1993).
Supporting the concept of social deviation, an earlier study conducted in
Sweden did find that gang members tend to demonstrate a high level of criminal
intelligence, including drug consumption and inability to seek employment
(Samecki, 1990). Contending to the theory that gangs primarily exist to
facilitate criminal activities, in a study involving Chicago public school
children, confirmed that 14 percent of youth involving in gang activities had
no criminal record (Curry & Spergel, 1992).
The
most fascinating part of the Chicago School Study was the discovery that gang
affiliation is a byproduct of the community, contrary to individual deviancy
posited by traditional psychological models. Contending to the ecological
theory, some studies held that poverty and lack of economic opportunities are
the forces driving gang violence (Bourgois 1989; Hagedorn, 1997). Trying
to understand the variables, which lead to gang affiliation without the input
of gang youths, may not validate the process to resolve gang violence. The love
for material things, affiliation, protection from physical harm, peer pressure,
fun, partying, and adventurism were some of the motives cited by youths with
gang affiliation (Decker and Van Winkle 1996, Fleisher 1995, Spergel 1995,
Scheidlinger 1994, Campbell 1990, Sanchez-Jankowski 1991, Hagedorn 1988, Katz
1988, Vigil 1988, Sarnecki 1990, Vigil 1983, Spergel 1964, Cohen 1955, Whyte
1943).
But Decker
and Van Winkle (1996) argued that the threats of physical violence, whether real
or unreal, are two primary reasons why young people join a gang. However, while
fear of being harm was a key reason why young Americans seek gang membership,
according to Decker and van Winkle (1996), “fear is a reason why young people
denounce their membership with gangs.”
However, research
showed that very few young people affiliate with gangs, even within inner
cities, which are considered highly impacted areas (Bodinger-deUriarte, 1993).
Accordingly, the level of youth participation is hardly 10 percent. Moreover,
less than 2 percent of juvenile crime is connected to gang. This policy paper
primarily focuses on ways to prevent young people from joining gangs, thereby
further reducing the rise of gang violence. It also looked at existing policies,
their effectiveness, and how they can be improved.
WHY
GANGS EXIST IN SCHOOL AND WHY THEY ATTRACT STUDENTS
Many
reasons have been provided why people seek gang membership. However, in
schools, gangs are renowned for providing sense of family and ethnic identity
to their members (William Gladden Foundation, 1992). However, the primary focus
of school authorities is to create diversionary programs to address the crucial
needs of students in and out of gangs. Accordingly, lack of a functional
support system to address the needs of adolescents may lead to frustration and
anger; failure to provide a safer stable environment where young people can
feel a sense of belongingness is another reason to seek gang membership; and
not providing a secured environment to address the psychological needs also
leads young to seek gang membership.
EFFECTIVE
WAYS TO COMBAT SCHOOL GANGS
Consistent
with the various literature reviewed, the following interventions arel
effective strategies that could be adapted by police agencies, school
administrations, and local PTAs:
1. Set up a diversionary
program to address students’ vulnerability to gang affiliation, by utilizing
peer group tutoring. A good mentoring or conflict resolution program is a great
way to effectively resolve any personal issues that a youngster is facing.
2. Set up a morally ethically
loaded conflict resolution school program.
3. Set up yearly programs
where students meet to annually share their passions.
4. Orientate school faculty
and staff on gang culture and how it can be handled.
5. Establish a parent
teacher association gang program, which provides culturally diverse sensitive
lectures in various languages.
6. Monitor the
activities of school age children who frequently hang around school facilities
they are not attending. By monitoring activities
around school vicinities is a great way to assess for gang activities in and
around the community.
7. Provide academic
opportunities for broader student parent participation where they can share
general experiences in and out of school.
Even
though the steps above may not be the lasting answers to preventing gang
violence in public schools, they are credibly significant. They are
helpfully important to render gang culture an unattractive option for young
people.
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