 
YES! - YOUTH EMPOWERMENT STRATEGIES FOR ALL
Working With Youth Who Are At Risk of Gang Activity
Turning the tide
According to the 2002 National Youth Gang Survey, more than 731,000 American young people belong to gangs. And many more youth of all races and ethnicities are at risk of joining a gang, simply because of the neighborhood they live in or other circumstances of their upbringing.
Some young people look to gangs for structure and discipline. Others are seeking acceptance and a sense of belonging. And many see gang life as a way to gain money and power in communities where few opportunities exist. The good news is that youth programs - especially those that have embraced the principles of Positive Youth Development - already have many of the tools to provide the structure, belonging, and empowerment that youth at risk of gang activity crave.
Tips for providing safe and healthy alternatives to youth who are at risk of gang activity:
- Provide safe transportation or chaperones for youth who may have to walk through gang territory to get to and from your program.
- Hold late night or off-hour activities so youth can avoid hanging out on the streets.
- Develop partnerships with local police and community anti-gang task forces. Encourage them to create youth advisory boards.
- Provide youth with peer mentors who successfully avoided gangs.
- Conduct role playing exercises on how to say no to gangs. Invite police to speak to youth and parents about avoiding gang membership.
- Hold workshops on nonviolent conflict resolution.
- Provide ways for youth to express their feelings through art, poetry, music, or dance.
- Plan small group activities within the bigger organization so that youth can forge tighter bonds with other young people and staff.
- Work to strengthen the relationships between youth and their families through counseling, mediation, or family-based activities.
- Provide opportunities for youth to improve their own communities through service learning or YouthBuild.
- Partner with local Chambers of Commerce to create job shadowing programs or internships for youth. Hire youth as interns or volunteers in your own program.
- Set up an education or career center where youth can research jobs or scholarships and get help on writing resumes and applications for college entry and financial aid.
- Provide access to tutoring services to help youth progress successfully through high school.
Resources
Community-based and National Intervention Strategies. In Youth Gangs in American Society. Authors: R. Shelden, S. Tracy, and W. Brown. 2004. Available from Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 10 Davis Dr., Belmont, CA 94002; (800) 423-0563; www.wadsworth.com.
Gangs: A Community Response. Author: Crime and Violence Prevention Center, California Attorney General's Office. 2003. Available from www.safestate.org.
Risk Factors for Gang Membership. In The Modern Gang Reader, 2nd Edition. Author: T. Thornberry. 2000. Available from Roxbury Publishing Company, P.O. Box 491044, Los Angeles, CA 90049-9044; (310) 473-3312; www.roxbury.net.
Web
National Crime Prevention Council
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Working With Youth Who Are At Risk of Gang Activity was developed by the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) for the Family and Youth Services Bureau; Administration on Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Children and Families; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information on positive ways to work with youth, please go to www.ncfy.com, or contact NCFY at (301) 608-8098 or info@ncfy.com.