NCJ Number
242574
Date Published
January 2012
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This report compares the characteristics of gang homicides with non-gang homicides, based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) analysis of 2003-2008 data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) for five cities with high levels of gang homicide.
Abstract
Compared to non-gang homicides, gang homicides were more likely to involve young adults and adolescents, racial and ethnic minorities, and males. The proportion of gang homicides that resulted from drug trade/use or with other crimes in progress was consistently low in the five cities, ranging from 0.00 to 25 percent. In addition, gang homicides were more likely to be perpetrated with firearms and in public places. This suggests that gang homicides are quick, retaliatory reactions to ongoing gang-related conflicts. The findings are evidence of the need to prevent gang involvement early in adolescence and to increase youths' capacity to resolve conflicts without violence. The findings indicate that gang homicides are distinctive events that require targeted prevention strategies to prevent youth from joining gangs. The Prevention Treatment Program is a promising approach to primary gang prevention. It includes child training in prosocial skills and self-control. Secondary prevention programs intervene when youth have been injured by gang violence. Hospital emergency department intervention programs migh interrupt the retaliatory cycle of gang violence and promote the leaving of gangs. Promising tertiary prevention program for gang youth might include evidence-based programs for delinquent youths that include family therapy and increase youths' ability to resolve conflict nonviolently. The five cities targeted in the survey were Los Angeles, CA; Oklahoma City, OK; Long Beach, CA; Oakland, CA; and Newark, NJ. NVDRS is a State-based surveillance system that collects data on violent deaths from multiple sources, including death certificates, coroner/medical-examiner records, and various law enforcement reports. 3 tables and 10 references