NCJ Number
197637
Date Published
March 2002
Length
70 pages
Annotation
This document discusses whether the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) approach to gang prevention and intervention is successful.
Abstract
Gang members are disproportionately involved in crimes, and are more likely to commit serious and violent crimes than non-gang members. The number of youth at the prime age for gang involvement (14- to 24-years-old) in the United States is growing. Determining effective ways to prevent the spread of gangs remains a key component of crime-reduction policy. BGCA developed two initiatives to address this problem: (1) Gang Prevention Through Targeted Outreach (GPTTO), which is designed to help youth stay out of the gang lifestyle; and (2) Gang Intervention Through Targeted Outreach (GITTO), which is designed to help youth get away from their gang-associated behaviors and values. There are four components of these initiatives: community mobilization, recruitment, programming and mainstreaming, and case management. An evaluation was conducted to learn if the Clubs succeeded at attracting youth at high risk of gang involvement; if Clubs could keep youth participating at the Club or program; if youth were receiving positive supports through their participation; and if participation had a positive effect on the lives of youth. Results show that prevention clubs drew in a significant number of new youth that were high risk of gang involvement; and both initiatives reached youth that might not have made it to the Club by themselves. Clubs kept a majority of youth engaged for 12 months. More frequent GPTTO Club attendance was associated with delayed onset of one gang behavior, less contact with the juvenile justice system, fewer delinquent behaviors, improved school outcomes, and more positive social relationships and productive use of out-of-school time. The main challenges that the clubs implementing these programs faced were administrative, such as the influx of new staff, staff turnover, and case management documentation. Overall, GPTTO and GITTO seem to be meeting their goals and the estimated incremental cost per youth per year of these approaches are far less than the cost of gang suppression. 19 endnotes, 38 references, 4 appendices