NCJ Number
239335
Journal
Journal of Gang Research Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: Summer 2012 Pages: 21-36
Date Published
2012
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined the possibility of viewing gangs as a social work issue instead of as a law enforcement issue.
Abstract
For decades gangs have been conceptualized primarily as a law enforcement phenomenon. However, empirical data on gang membership suggests that social work interventions may prove more effective in addressing gangs than law enforcement strategies. Using data from a comprehensive gang assessment of middle school and high school gang members in two rural locations in North Carolina, this study identified three social work-related dimensions of gang membership: family awareness, membership dynamics and membership stability. The study isolated and analyzed nine gang-related variables. The study found that the largest proportions of gang members joined the gang as a result of high-ordered needs such as the need for belonging and excitement. Additional findings suggest that the majority of gang members had parents who were unaware that their child was involved in gang-related activity at the time the child joined the gang. The data also suggest that a large majority of gang members would never consider leaving the gang. When examining the data on parental awareness, membership motives and the respondents' attitudes toward gang desistance, the findings support the re-conceptualization of gangs as a social work phenomenon. The field of Social Work could address the primary correlates of gang membership through mental health services, community based programs such as project BUILD, recreational programs and parenting skills programs. (Published Abstract)