Gang Involvement

Who gets involved in gangs?

The answer to this question is difficult to answer conclusively. When we talked to police, ex-gang members, professionals and when we reviewed the literature, the answer started with “it depends”. The reasons young people may be drawn into gangs are complex and there is no simple cause and effect answer. There are a number of factors that come into play depending on the dynamics and conditions surrounding each person.

Some young people are lured by the potential of making large amounts of money, largely through the sale of drugs. Some young people are drawn into gangs for a sense of belonging, protection and affirmation that they are unable to get elswhere. Some young people are drawn into gangs because they are carrying on a family tradition established by parents, and other relatives involved in gangs. Some young people are drawn into gangs because the adults in their lives, for a variety of reasons, are absent or uninvolved. Some young people are drawn to the glamour and power of gangs portrayed in the media. None of these factors in and of themselves are an explanation for gang involvement but combined they create conditions and dynamics that lead to a greater likelihood of gang involvement.

In an attempt reflect the realities we face in addressing gang violence and the complexities surrounding the lives of young people we developed a number of case scenarios to show the complexities surrounding the lives of young people who may become vulnerable to gang involvement. These case scenarios have been developed by weaving the knowledge and experience of service providers together with research on risk and protective factors to paint a picture of the “gang situation” and bring it down to a human level. They are not case studies of actual persons but composite profiles of situations of risk surrounding vulnerable young people. They are a tool to describe the realities we are trying to change.