NCJ Number
141221
Editor(s)
A P Goldstein,
C R Huff
Date Published
1993
Length
532 pages
Annotation
This handbook outlines the information necessary to implement a comprehensive gang intervention strategy that would offer different youths specialized interventions based on their demographic, structural, and behavioral gang qualities. These qualities include age span of membership, diversity of cultural origin, complexity of structure, degree of drug involvement, and level of violence.
Abstract
The introductory section of the book discusses patterns of ganging and gang intervention in the U.S. and describes current preventive efforts. Psychological interventions, including cognitive-behavioral interventions, interpersonal skills training, and moral-cognitive interventions, optimally target individual gang members or youths at risk of gang membership. Contextual interventions focus on the environments in which gang members function: home, school, employment, and community. Another section examines criminal justice interventions carried out by police, prosecutors, and corrections in response to illegal and antisocial behaviors relevant to youth gang activity. The final section discusses how cultural sensitivity and the public policy requisites of the gang intervention process must be used to address the macrolevel social and economic factors that make youths susceptible to gangs and crime. 5 figures and 26 tables