Juvenile Justice - Gang Control - Assignment Example

Juvenile Justice- Gang Control1. The presentation recommends 5 core strategies for gang interventions. Based on the theories studied in modules 2, 3 and 4, which theory do you believe is best represented in these strategies? Why?The five core strategies mentioned in the training module of the National Gang Center are: community mobilization, opportunities provision, social intervention, suppression and organizational change and development. The theory that is best represented in these core strategies is the social conflict theory.

The social conflict theory explains how a community is always in a state of conflict for one reason or another is it internal or external. In order to end the conflict, several mechanism and people must come together and enforce measures and mechanisms for social control. These mechanisms include the law enforcement and justice system, governmental intervention, collaboration with social institutions as well as employing the assistance of the rich, powerful and the rest of the society in assistance with the social control to end the social conflict (Siegel and Welsh, 2008).

This is exactly what the end of youth gang problem in society needs a collaboration of several strategies and mechanisms that are not only based on legal proceedings and law enforcement but which aim to completely transform the lives of these youth gang members and those of their families and they may shun away from the gang life by for example giving them education and skills training so that they can seek honest jobs. 2. Accurately assessing a gang problem is a crucial first step in effective intervention as noted in the training module.

Where would you go to get the most accurate information regarding gang membership and activity in your community? How would you deal with the stereotypes that are often portrayed by the media in your assessment? The most accurate data and information about the gangs would be got from the community policing committee as it is this committee that even involves the police and other law enforcement personnel on the gangs in the area. They get their information from parents, guardians, schools and even from their community policing activities in the community.

The parents and schools have the mandate to inform the community about their children or students activities or suspicious behavior. The other source is from the social workers with various social institutions and organizations.The stereotypes by the media on the issue of youth gangs mostly are as a result or wrong information of these gangs from the definition of what youth gangs are to their way of dressing or even social interaction. The first way to deal with such stereotypes is to obtain the correct definition of youth gangs including their areas of meeting and the activities they carry out.

This information is available in the police and other legal and law enforcement offices as well from experts on youth gangs. This will enable correct assessment and dealing with these stereotypes.3. The training module stresses the importance of combining prevention, interventions and suppression programs for the best outcomes. Based on 100 percent, what percentage would you devote to each? Why? Which of the three do you think would be most efficient in your community? Why? The suppression program should have 20%, prevention programs 30% and interventions 50%.

Youth gangs will never end because they are believed to be a stage of transition in some places and hence cannot be fully prevented. What can however be prevented is the deep and long term involvement into the gang life. Suppression can never fully work as these youths rebel against rules and rule enforcers and the more suppression is used through police, the more the gangs will increase and terrorize people in the community. Intervention however is the best solution program as it is long term.

The program aims at completely removing the gangs from their lifestyle and making them respectable and honest people earning livelihood and assisting their families away from police supervision. They will have learnt about the evils of gang life and hence the intervention will work completely. ReferencesNational Gang Center. OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model Online Overview. Retrieved from: http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Comprehensive-Gang-Model/Online-OverviewSiegel, L. and Welsh, B. (2008).

Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. New York: Cengage Learning.