NCJ Number
221336
Date Published
April 2007
Length
59 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews antigang intervention strategies in Australia, including their limits and possibilities in countering gang formation and activities.
Abstract
The first part of the paper is an overview of intervention strategies. A distinction is drawn between coercive and developmental approaches to youths' problem behaviors. It advises that a comprehensive approach to gang issues must first address the nature of the problem, its causes, and various alternatives for addressing the causes. A central theme of this section of the paper is the importance of localizing the analysis of the gang problem in terms of gang characteristics and behaviors in specific neighborhoods. Issues that should be considered in the analysis are the dynamics of group participation, including entry into and exit from groups, as well as group transformation, including changes in a gang over time. The second part of the paper reviews some of the concepts and strategies that have characterized government and community action toward gangs at the local level. Topics discussed include the family and parenting; school-based interventions; coercive street-based strategies; community-based strategies; and proposals that focus on the use of the media. Although few antigang programs in Australia have been evaluated, this paper describes a broad spectrum of strategies and programs that may assist future local antigang practices. The paper advises that the most effective forms of intervention are apparently based on principles of youth involvement in positive community activities and social interaction with peers. The paper concludes with a few observations on the need for a holistic and comprehensive approach to gang issues and youth violence. 69 references