Juvenile gangs, predominantly comprised of young individuals, pose a significant challenge to the criminal justice apparatus in countering them. According to James C. Howell’s fact sheet in the OJJDP, the prevalence of these gangs varies by locality, with 14% to 30% of adolescents joining these gangs at some point based on urban Surveys (Howell, 1997). Existing outside of any legal authority, these groups are responsible for the undertaking of a variety of criminal activities ranging from drug smuggling and violent harassment to damage and deprivation. The gangs’ activities not only undermine public safety but also jeopardize social stability and cohesion. Consequently, the intricate nature of youth gangs lends essential insight into the need for constant updates by law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and society as a whole. Through the exploration of the multiple circumstances that contribute to the teen gang culture, stakeholders in the criminal justice system can develop responsive strategies that are adaptable to intervening, preventing, and also rehabilitating (Covey, 1992). Understanding the factors that contribute to the gangs’ formation is rational as it can help in designing initiatives such as community outreach projects and education programs that aim to disrupt the recruitment pipeline of the gangs. Also, mental health support and mentorship programs can be effective interventions that can help the juveniles who are at risk, steering them away from the criminal pathways.
Explanation of Juvenile Gangs:
The emergence of youth gangs serves as a complicated societal phenomenon as it mostly stems from the furnace of marginalized communities struggling with vicious economic hardship, social disarray, and systemic neglect. Adolescents living in these marginalized neighborhoods find themselves trapped in an environment with limited opportunities for social upward mobility, and they are subject to pervasive vulnerabilities. Since the adolescents cannot get access to their necessities, they find themselves joining gangs as they seek protection, social approval, and a sense of identity. The resultant gangs pose a threat to not only public safety but also social solidarity and cohesion (Rahman, 2022). The adolescents join these gangs to gain a sense of belonging and family and also feel accepted, filling the void that has already been left by social exclusion and broken family structures. Without the presence of good role models or an encouraging community, the adolescents view the gangs as surrogate families that provide mentorship, camaraderie, and validation. The relationship created within these gangs as a result of the customs and rites of initiation provides the members with a sense of belonging and purpose.
Furthermore, juvenile gangs act as a means through which the achievement of economic opportunities in an indirect way can be gained, even by applying illegal criminal means. In most of the marginalized neighborhoods where there are limited job and financial opportunities, juvenile gangs act as a conduit for building self-esteem and also achieving material or financial possession. The disenfranchised youth is given an opportunity by the affiliated gang to survive and elevate their status in the community either through extortion, drug trafficking, petty theft, or any other criminal activity.
The emergence of juvenile gangs can also be linked to the problems of cultural belonging and identity. In urban communities that celebrate ethnic diversity, gangs also take on an added role as protectors of the ethnic culture and defenders of marginalized groups, providing a reaction space where the ignored can assert their heritage, identity, and influence. The gangs are cohesive in such a way that members have shared cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, which gives them a sense of belonging and reinforces their cultural identity (Merrin, 2020). With rituals, symbols, and dialects that are only specific to the group, gang members reaffirm their ethnic backgrounds and decline any assimilation into mainstream society. Social exclusion cycles also play a significant role in the formation of intergenerational gangs. In some instances, if the children in marginalized communities are being raised by a relative who is a gang member, they are likely going to be recruited into the gangs. Growing up in a community marked by gang culture, young people are enculturated with regard to seeing aggressive behavior, criminal activity, and deviation as an outlet for dealing with difficult situations.
Importance to the Criminal Justice Field
The crime prevention efforts aimed at combating juvenile gangs call for a multifaceted approach that is informed by an in-depth analysis of the factors that drive adolescents into joining these gangs. Law enforcement agencies need to design proactive strategies to address these root causes to deter delinquents from joining gangs or engaging in criminal activities. Social inequalities such as poverty and educational inadequacy are among the factors that contribute to juvenile gang involvement. There is a need for the government to invest in initiatives that will give adolescents and delinquents a legitimate alternative to gang affiliation (Rahman, 2022). Such efforts should be aimed at improving the socioeconomic status of these neighborhoods, including providing job opportunities for the youth and also ensuring they have access to quality education. By doing so, the juveniles have opportunities for upward social mobility. Moreover, community-based programs such as mentorship, counseling, and recreational activities offer an avenue for at-risk youth to vent their frustration and develop themselves personally by substituting these facets with positive outlets and lessening the attraction to gang affiliation. Also, an enhanced collaboration between different stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, social services, community programs, and schools, can help in identifying the adolescents who are at risk and intervene before they join juvenile gangs.
In the quest to combat juvenile gangs, prevention programs play a significant role as they offer a lifeline to adolescents who are at risk an opportunity and therefore deterring them from joining gangs. These initiatives are tailored such that they address the factors that influence delinquent behavior and also drive the need for adolescents to join criminal gangs. Such efforts may include offering opportunities for the adolescent in terms of education and employment. Such efforts will improve the lives of the marginalized communities as they offer them an opportunity for social upward mobility. The effectiveness of these programs is the fact that they are guided by the fact that they recognize that the gangs’ recruitment and retention issues are diverse. The preventive programs, therefore, are diverse since, in their setting, they delve into the psychological, societal, and economic factors that drive adolescents into joining gangs. Delving into the root causes of the formation of juvenile gangs, criminal justice professionals can gain more insight and understanding of the underlying vulnerabilities within communities (Olapo, 2020).
Consequently, criminal justice personnel can use such insights in developing targeted interventions that are aimed at addressing the specific needs of at-risk juveniles. Education and training programs that promote both skills acquisition and employment opportunities also form an integral part of the intervention programs. Ensuring the availability of educational programs, vocational training, and employment opportunities enables youths to pursue options aside from gang involvement. Besides, these programs usually allow youths to envision a better life for themselves, which is a big contribution to youth development and will consequently steer them away from gangs.
The rehabilitation and reintegration programs play a significant role in combating the juvenile gangs. Understanding the nature of juvenile delinquency, even though it is lawful that just like the adult counterparts to be subjected to incarceration, the juveniles commit crimes due to lack of knowledge or it was the only opportunity for survival. As a result, rehabilitations play a significant role in correcting the deviant behavior. The criminal justice system has the constitutional mandate to ensure that juvenile offenders are subjected to the proper forms of correction to reform behavior. Incarceration should not be centered on punitive measures but rather on rehabilitation and correction (Porch, 2021). The rehabilitative programs focus on educational training whereby the juvenile offender can gain some skills and knowledge that can enhance their smooth reintegration into society. The drivers and underpinnings of gang culture and dynamics are multifaceted. As such, the success of rehabilitation efforts should be founded on a sophisticated understanding of the frighteningly complex nature of gang life. Upon being reformed, the re-entry programs play a significant role in ensuring that after completing the incarceration term, the juvenile can smoothly transition into the community. The re-entry programs should address issues such as housing and job placement to prevent former inmates from rejoining the gangs and reoffending.
References
Covey, H. C., Menard, S. W., & Franzese, R. J. (1992). Juvenile gangs (p. 49). CC Thomas.
Howell, J. (1997). E O F JUS T ICE PR O G RA MS BJA N I J OJJ DP BJ S OV C Youth Gangs. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles/fs-9772.pdf
Merrin, G. J., Davis, J. P., Ingram, K. M., & Espelage, D. L. (2020). Examining social-ecological correlates of youth gang entry among serious juvenile offenders: A survival analysis. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 90(5), 623.
Olapo, O. C. (2020). Gangs: The push for effective prevention and intervention programs for youth.
Porch, L. (2021). The Plan Starts Now: A Study of Juvenile Delinquency and a Re-entry Program Back into the Community.
Rahman, M. M. (2022). A Theoretical framework on juvenile gang delinquency: Its roots and solutions. Beijing L. Rev., 13, 477.
write