Gangs Lecture Notes PDF

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Al Valdez gives in class lectures and shows in class videos. All of the information is found in these notes!...

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Gangs 10/15 Lecture ● Most of the time it is unpredictable as it is the result of a chance encounter ● Gang violence often involves the use of a gun (92% of all gang related murders) ● 15 kids between the age of 10-24 die every day from gun violence ○ Person of color its 6 times more likely Juneviles and Adults ● Adult males: Violent crimes and drugs ● Adult females: Drug and violent crime (right now more violent crimes committed by females than makes) ● Junevile: Arson, drugs, property crimes, then violent crimes

● Graffiti marks off turf (NOT TAG GRAFFITI) ○ Greeting, warning, or a challenge ● They are always prepared with protection ○ Like boy scouts (motto) → “Be Prepared” ● How to join: form own gang, jump in, crime in, walk in, sex in (women) ○ Girls who get sexed in to the gang tend to be more violent than those who are jumped in

Week 0 Lecture ● ● ● ● ●

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116 people die from opioid abuse everyday Girls use both hemispheres of their brain, boys only use one side When we make a memory with an emotion, its solid When you’re 8-9, about 90% of your brain is developed to the adult size YUMMY - from Chicago, 11 years old, he likes cookies ○ Was arrested 29 times ○ Eventually shot by his gang members? Afraid he would talk Gangs become the surrogate family Sympathy - next to, empathy - inside Adrenaline, cortisol (a stress hormone), oxytocin (feel good/love), (natural opioid, don’t feel pain) Any criminal activity, infraction, misdemeanor: a gang (academic definition) ○ Claiming turf is not requirement ○ Party crews, tagger crews America puts more adults in jail than any other country in the world ○ More juveniles too ○ We treat symptoms not causes

● We are a product of our upbringing ○ Do you get to choose your parents? ○ Consistent rules and 2 parents → children thrive

Tuesday, Week 1 ● Why join a gang → push factors ○ Negative outside factors, barriers, and conditions in the social environment ■ Family problems ■ Poverty ■ Lack of success in schools ● Why join a gang → pull factors ○ Gang offers perceived benefits ○ Safety/financial ○ Protection/support ○ love/sense of belongings ○ opportunities ● FOR MOST STREET GANG MEMBERS, MEMBERSHIP (for most) IS A CHOICE (true) ● Turnover of gang membership is constant ● Most gang members are in their gang for a year or less ○ T/F: The gang population turnover is constant (true) ○ Academic research suggests that for most gang members, gang membership is a year or less (true) ○ In generational gang membership, membership is not a choice (indoctrinated at a very young age) ● The longer the gang membership, the more difficult it is to get out (true) ● Desistence is a function of: ○ The level of the individual’s participation ○ How established and severe the level of gang activity is in the community ● Short-term involvement: can have long term effects ○ Increased participation in crime, school problems, decreased employment, exposure/involvement to alcohol/drug use/abuse, increases the risk of victimization ● Knifing off: participation in a gang reduces the gang member’s connection to mainstream society, the longer the disconnection, the more disconnected ○ The gang member cuts ties with social groups like family, friends, school, and the religious community ○ Increases the risk of dropping out of school, increases the chance of teen pregnancy/fatherhood, and lack of employment success

● Knifing off is a function of membership length and criminal activity (true) ● There is a rebound effect because knifing off the gang member tends to make them identify stronger with gang, pulling them even further from mainstream society ● There are push/pull factors that help an individual to leave a gang ○ Pull = internal ○ Push = external ● Positive push factors: desire to get out of gang, criminal justice involvement, police harassment/pressure, personal of vicarious victimization ● Internal pull factors: familial responsibilities, employment responsibilities, relocation, gang fell apart, family left the gang ● External push factors: make the gang environment unappealing, while pull factors are circumstances/situations that attract the individual back into mainstream society ● Combination of push/pull factors is what provides the motivation and opportunity for the individual to leave the gang ● Research suggests that individuals have a limit or tolerance for negative experiences connected with gang membership ● Crucial leverage points: romantic rel ● reationships, pregnancy, birth of child, family health issues ● Leverage points make if harder to leave the gang (false) ● Although lacking education, most gang members aspire to lead a conventional life ● Desistence plan barriers ○ Clients will have more street skills than employment skills ○ Client may not have a high school diploma ○ Client may not have literacy skills (basic reading, writing, math) ○ Lack the documents to get work (license, social, birth certificate) ○ Unfamiliar with methods of applying for employment ○ Unfamiliar with behaviors that are needed for success ○ Client may have personal issues like lack of anger management \ ○ Family conflict ○ Mental health issues ○ Involvement with substance abuse (alcohol included) ○ Threat of violence by the gang ● Most individuals are able to leave the gang without a threat of violence ● 91% of street gang members were able to leave the gang without any exceptional means to quit the gang ● Worst case scenario is prison gangs ○ Members are threatened with death, often completed by street gang members ○ Sometimes family members/friends are targeted ● It is more difficult to leave a prison gang than a street gang (true)

● Gang interventionists should: ○ Be aware of potential risks and consequences ○ Be familiar with local gangs, their rivalries, territories, and current activities/conflicts ○ Clients should NOT be advised to discuss their plans with their peers/leaders ● Risk varies per individual. Ask: ○ Is the gang member/his family at risk of immediate arm for cutting ties with the gang? ○ Does the gang typically threaten/victimize individuals who try to leave?

Thursday, Week 1 ● Make up of gang membership ○...