Street Gangs and Preventive Interventions

Abstract

This article presents an evaluation of an intervention aimed at youth at risk for joining street gangs. In a quasi-experimental design, targeted youth were assigned to one of two levels of treatment (classroom sessions or a combination of classroom sessions and structured after-school activities) or to a no-treatment control group. To ascertain gang membership following the intervention, the youths' names were compared with gang membership rosters obtained from informants. Four members of the control group and one receiving youth receiving the more intensive intervention were subsequently identified as gang members. Implications of the study for public policy are considered, methodological difficulties in conducting research in this area are discussed, and future research directions are suggested.

Gang Transitions and Transformations in an International Context

“…Enhanced classroom curriculum with role-model supplement Thompson and Jason ( 1988 ) 117 Eighth graders at risk for gang involvement. sample studies (e.g., n = 20 for Dole 2005) to have the same weight as large sample studies (e.g., n = 5935 for Esbensen and Osgood 1999 ), which effectively gives "low precision" results undue infl uence in narrative reviews (Borenstein et al 2009 ).…”

Perceptions of me, conceptions of you: refining ideas of access to, and ‘acceptance’ within, the police organisational field

“…Indeed, the structure, challenges and the nature of gaining trust within the police field are well understood and documented by those who have conducted empirical policing research. What is clear from these narratives is that relational work similar to that required of other qualitative researchers (Goode 2002, Thompson and Jason 1988, Taylor 1987) is needed and police researchers must be diligent in their efforts to secure the trust and real cooperation of police officers.…”

Youth Violence: Sources and Solutions in South Africa

“…Two school-based programmes that have gone beyond the curriculum to target risk factors by including extramural activities or parental involvement are BUILD and GRIP. The Broad Urban Involvement and Leadership Development (BUILD) project combined a school curriculum with an afterschool programme providing recreational activities, job skills, educational assistance and social activities (Thompson & Jason, 1988). The evaluation of the programme used three matched pairs of public schools, controlling for the fact that the same gang recruited members from both schools in each pair.…”