NCJ Number
169878
Date Published
1997
Length
69 pages
Annotation
This report presents findings on self-reported delinquency and gang involvement by youth in five of Oahu's (Hawaii) intermediate schools, as well as by youth being served through seven agencies funded by Hawaii's Youth Gang Response System (YGRS).
Abstract
The overview of Hawaii's delinquency patterns provided by the intermediate school sample suggests that the problems of delinquency and gang membership vary considerably by the factors of neighborhood, age of the youth, and their community. The gang problem is far worse in some neighborhoods than in others, and the youth in those neighborhoods are at considerable risk for gang membership. Communities that are stereotypically considered crime-ridden and gang-infested do not necessarily have youth who are more delinquent than youth in other middle-income communities. The differences between the problems presented by the youth served by the seven agencies surveyed, provides a clear measure of the various ways that the YGRS provides a continuum of services to youth at risk for gang delinquency. Youth served by some of these agencies live in relatively high-crime communities; the agencies provide a safe place for them to learn, play, and interact with other youth. Some of the youths served by the YGRS, however, come from troubled backgrounds and are current gang members. These data provide evidence that the YGRS-supported agencies provide both prevention and intervention services to youth at high risk for gang delinquency. 48 tables and appended "Positive Alternatives to Gangs Education Survey Post Test"