Developing a Comprehensive Strategy to Address Youth Gangs: A Shift in Thinking and Approach

1. Developing a Comprehensive Strategy to Address Youth Gangs: A Shift in Thinking and Approach Laura Dunbar, PhD StudentDepartment of Criminology34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice21st Century Justice: The Economics of Public SafetyOctober 4, 2013

2. Current Situation • Youth gangs are considered an important feature of contemporary Canadian society. • Gangs and their members are increasingly presented as a serious problem – recent high-profile gang-related homicides, continued focus on crime and interventions, and criminal justice policy reforms. • Affiliation is associated with a number of negative events and outcomes; even short-term involvement can have long-term effects. • Importance of defining the ‘gang’ – public perceptions, criminal justice policies and justification for intervention driven by perception and understanding of the issue. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

3. A Shift in Thinking about Youth Gangs Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

4. Defining the ‘Gang’ • Little consensus on a definition; however several general criteria have been established. • Youth gangs are often treated as: • A group of individuals who engage in criminal activity(a social problem). • A group of individuals with negative personal attributes (individual defect). • Youth gangs may also represent collective solutions to the shared problems experienced by their members. • Problem-solving behaviour (a choice) and not just a symptom of a condition. • Must balance focus on deficits with attention to strengths/resilience. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

5. Joining a Gang • Functional nature of gang membership – gangs exist because they serve a purpose. • Individuals join for a myriad of reasons: • Concerns about personal safety and security. • Access to resources and power and source of entertainment. • Source of emotional support and a sense of belonging. • Poor bonds to conventional society – lack of attachment to others and institutions. • Attractive to those facing difficult social and economic conditions. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

6. Leaving a Gang • Process is seldom rapid and not necessarily permanent; gradual series of steps and commitments. • ‘Knifing off’ and cognitive change. • Temporary nature of gang membership – importance of aging and maturation. • Increasing stake in conformity – marriage, family, employment. • Reappraising costs and benefits – experience with violence and limit to tolerance. • Bonds and attachments to conventional people and activities – discourage gang involvement. • Regardless of reasons for leaving, individuals must be ready in order to be successful. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

7. Barriers and Obstacles • Internal • Fear of leaving the gang (perceptions of violence). • Loss of gang benefits (social support, sense of belonging). • External • Inequality (ability to acquire education, marketable skills and meaningful employment). • Exclusion (social barriers including ‘gang’ label, perceptions, stigma of membership). • Under these conditions: limited opportunities outside the gang; leaving may be perceived as ‘not worth the effort’. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

8. A Shift in Approach to Addressing Youth Gangs Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

9. Defining and Measuring ‘Success’ • Insertion • Focus on reducing the risk that the youth will return to the gang (recidivism). • Interventions: increase the willingness and ability of the youth to exercise greater self control or impose greater levels of external control on the youth. • Integration • Focus on providing the youth with a sense of well-being and of hope. • Interventions: provide skills and resources needed to improve progress on social determinants of health. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

10. Targets for Intervention (Hastings & Dunbar, 2012) Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

11. Multi-Sectoral Collaboration Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

12. Current Interventions • Law Enforcement / Suppression • Most common response; somewhat effective in the short term, however no lasting impact on gang involvement. • May lead to unintended consequences and counter-productive impacts; hamper process of desistance. • Human Capital Development • Increase basic capacities, skills and propensities to help youth shift life trajectories – pro-social lifestyle. • Individual counselling, cognitive-behavioural development, access to education, employment skills and training opportunities. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

13. Current Interventions • Mechanisms of Social Support • Facilitate new sources of social support – meet needs for belonging and socialization, sustain positive efforts. • Strengthen family bonds, develop positive peer relationships, identify a support network. • Social Capital Development • Develop relationships and networks that generate opportunities for gang-involved youth. • Comprehensive community-based initiatives – coordinated action, emphasis on integration, initiatives that provide youth with a sense of ‘hope’. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

14. Toward a Comprehensive Strategy • We must move beyond interventions that focus on the characteristics and ‘risk factors’ of individual gang members and to take a more ‘social approach’ to the issue of youth gangs. • We must examine gangs in a broader social context by addressing the link between individual life experiences and social and economic inequalities. • We must respond adequately to the complexities of the issue; complex problem requires a complex solution. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

15. Laura Dunbar, October 4, 2013 34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice

16. Thank You Contact Information:Laura Dunbar, PhD Student Department of Criminologyldunbar@uottawa.ca