Social Marketing Campaign for Youth Gangs - Assignment Example

Social marketing campaign for youth gangs: Developing competencies for stronger self-identities 4 May Social marketing campaign for youth gangs Gangs, as portrayed in the media, are either glorified by making them look “cool,” wealthy, and powerful, or demonized, by blaming them for the rising criminality and corruption of the youth. Either way, gangs continued to experience growth, especially during the periods of 1920s, 1960s, and 1990s (Myers, 2000, p.35). Gangs have, furthermore, diversified in structure and crime involvement, since the first gangs developed in as early as 1783 in the United States (U.S.) (Myers, 2000, p.35). Gangs are not just composed of minority groups, such as Hispanic Americans, Chinese, Italians, or African Americans, but also of white members (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2010, p.352). Not all gangs are made of male members only, as some are mixed girls and boys, while others are exclusively female gangs (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2010, p.354). An increasingly alarmed public and government aim to reduce and control gang memberships, because gang members have posed increasing social problems, as they drop out of school, commit crimes, and engage in more deviant behaviours than other social sectors (Arfaniarromo, 2001, p.123). The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse asserts from their study that gang members “are five times likelier to use marijuana, three times likelier to drink alcohol and 12 times likelier to smoke cigarettes” (Currie, 2010, p.7). Another major concern is that gangs are evolving from a previous means for marginalized youths to socialize, gain control, and liberate aggression to becoming active members of international crime syndicates (Johnson and Muhlhausen, 2005, p.38). Recently, some gangs have become unofficially affiliated with international criminal networks. Two major Hispanic gangs— Calle 18 and Mara Salvatrucha—expanded in Los Angeles during the 1960s and now have “fraternal” connections to around 130,000 to 300,000 members in Mexico and Central America and have even broadened their territory across the United States to main cities and rural communities on the Eastern Seaboard (Johnson and Muhlhausen, 2005, p.38). These gangs are turning into a “public threat” that must be immediately resolved. Numerous gang intervention schemes, however, have worked with varying results (Rios, 2010; Rodríguez and Brown, 2009). Offering sports programs and education is not enough to help keep students in school or away from gangs (Myers, 2000; Rios, 2010). This paper offers a social marketing campaign for youth gang members in Atlanta, with the primary aim of reducing and preventing youth involvement in gangs. It is presented to the U.S. government with the author as a social marketing consultant. It starts with a literature review exploring the nature and extent of young gang problem in the U.S. It is followed by the review of the barriers to attitude and behavioural changes among the teenage gang members or the youth. It also determines the target market. Finally, it proposes the social marketing campaign. Section 1: Literature Review The proliferation of gangs is a national and local issue. The young ages of gang members and resulting individual and collective deviant behaviours make them a particular national concern. The basic age range of gang members is between 12 and 24 years, with the average ages of 17 and 18 years (Curry & Decker, 1998 qtd. in Tapia et al., 2009, p.229). These are children who should be studying in school and being moulded by society to reach for their dreams and upmost potentials. Instead, they are engaging in deviant and criminal behaviours. States and local communities also experience a rising incidence of gang membership. In Atlanta, International Robbing Crew and 30 Deep are two of the largest gangs. They are mostly involved in drugs and robberies. A study compares gang members and at-risk youths in Cleveland and findings show that: 44.7 percent of members versus 4.1 percent of non-members reported committing auto theft; 40.4 percent of members said they participated in drive-by shootings compared to 2.0 percent of non-members; 34.0 percent of members versus zero percent of non-gang members reported intimidating or assaulting crime victims or witnesses; 72.3 percent of gang members versus 16.3 percent of non-members admitted assaulting rivals; and 17.0 percent of members versus 2.0 percent of non-members committed robbery (Huff, n.d., p. 80 Exhibit 2 qtd. in Johnson and Muhlhausen, 2005, p.39). Clearly, gang members are more likely to be involved in a criminal life and develop criminal culture. The literature on the social context of gang membership contains numerous contradictions. Albert Cohen advances a subculture theory that seeks to explain why the youth join gangs (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2010, p.354). He suggests that gangs have developed a subculture that provides diverse solutions to the social problems of teenage gang members (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2010, p.354). In particular, a gang provides them the opportunity to belong, to develop their sense of masculinity, to do something that is “valuable”, or to fight middle-class society and authority (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2010, p.354). Malec (2006) follows the study of psychologist Erik Erikson to understand gang membership. Erik Erikson argues that identity is a “developmental phenomenon” shaped by the social conditions and internal developmental processes (Malec, 2006, p.82). He stresses that the adolescence period is paramount in comprehending the identity formation process, because it is the time when adolescents start to differentiate themselves from others and to form a distinctive identity (Malec, 2006, p.82). A social and cultural background that provides for the identity formation process and helps adolescents achieve their human identity needs is beneficial to a robust identity formation (Malec, 2006, p.82). Many youth minority members, however, feel the lack of supporting social conditions. Latino youth, for instance, says Malec (2006), experience a “sociocultural disconnection,” as they struggle to exist within the Latino culture and the overriding mainstream culture (p.82). They tend to develop a sensitive sense of social instability, and some try to find familiarity and solidity within a group with whom they can feel the sense of belonging, power and respect (Malec, 2006, p.82). Gangs can present that social membership that other non-deviant social groups and institutions cannot provide (Malec, 2006, p.82). Other scholars highlight the complexity of youth gangs, because it faces “intersectionality,” where issues of race, gender, social class, culture, age, and sexual orientations impact how gangs are perceived by gang members and non-gang members (Valentine, 2007, p.12). Tapia et al. (2009) compare and contrast Mexican American non-gang (n=43) and gang members (n=43). Findings show that gang members feel more disconnected from their Mexican heritage and often do not have fathers living at home (p.236). Gang members also emphasised the need for respect and social recognition than non-gang members. Gang members also feel unloved, scared, and inferior more than non-gang members. Rios (2010) interviewed many Latino youth who dropped out in school complained about racial discrimination. Most of them expressed that teachers did not care for them because of their race and so they dropped out. And dropping out is sometimes followed by gang membership. Hence, gang membership seems to be the easiest way to escape social, familial, economic, cultural, and political problems. Section 2: Barriers to attitude and behaviour change There are numerous barriers to attitude and behaviour change among at-risk youth and gang members. Sources show that it is difficult to detach gang members from their gangs and related criminal behaviour, if they have been already “conditioned” for a life of crime through gang membership, or they already embedded these specialized criminal behaviours. Sheley et al. (1995) examined the relation of gang structure and criminal activity to the criminal behaviour of individual gang members. They employed a survey research design where 373 male juveniles participated and who identified themselves as gang members, before they were imprisoned. Findings demonstrate that “specialization” is common among gang and individual levels. Specialization refers to focusing on certain activities only, such as drug distribution. In other words, it is possible that gangs recruit new members and inculcate specific criminal behaviours or similarly-specializing gang members congregate and reinforce the same behaviour. Johnson and Muhlhausen (2005) report about gang members who expand across the U.S., which for me, is a form of gang imperialism. These gangs even affiliate with international crime syndicates, and this is alarming, since these are young people who might be crossing the points of “no return,” if they up being killed while participating in gang activities. Gangs continue to exist, because they can meet certain social and psychological needs for numerous gang members. These “met” needs make it harder to change attitudes and behaviours. Tapia et al. (2009) learn from their study that gang members feel connected to their gangs. They feel a sense of belonging and power that they could not find outside their gangs. As a result, they feel ironically safer as a gang member than not being part of their gangs. Arfaniarromo (2001) cites Vigil’s study. Vigil used Eriksons (1956) theory of the psychosocial moratorium to argue that these Latino youth gratify their desire for self-identity through the developmental roles of street gang (p.128). Vigil emphasises that the settlement of psychosocial, self-identity conflicts happens through a concluding “complementarity between the ego (the self) of the Latino gang member and the egos integration into the gang members group (gang) role,” where the gang becomes part of the self-ego of the gang member (Arfaniarromo, 2001, p.128). Gangs provide an “alternative, or delinquent, achievement orientation” versus the norm of achievement ideals of Latino non-gang members (Arfaniarromo, 2001, p.128). Malec (2006) talks about the risk factors that make it easier to stay with gangs than avoid or leave them. Some of these risk factors are the lack of education and employment opportunities, discrimination, the collapse of the family, and economic poverty (p.84). These conditions marginalise the Latino youth and augment the probability “that the person exposed to them will overwhelm his capacity to find non-violent means of maintaining self-respect” (Malec, 2006, p.84). Section 3: Target Market The target market is minority youth gang members, although mixed-race-gang members are also included. The main target is to start at a community level, primarily a suburban community with high gang incidence in Atlanta. Their ages are 12 to 18 years old. The benefits of the campaign for them is that they can go back to school, where teachers are trained to handle gang members and are dedicated to eradicating social inequalities, and they can also have part-time jobs. They can also become involved in their interests, such as arts, sports, music, and literature, among many others. The model of behavioural change to be adapted is based on Sullivan et al.’s (2008) five fundamental competencies for healthy adjustment in adolescence. It is based on the social-cognitive information processing (SCIP) theories. These competencies include a “positive sense of self, self-control, decision-making skills, a moral system of belief, and prosocial connectedness” (p.33). I believe that this has a comprehensive approach to changing antisocial and psychotic behaviours and attitudes among the youth, whether they are gang members or at-risk teenagers. It includes social, psychological, moral, and individual control aspects that respond to the complex nature of gang involvement. The model is originally made for violent teenagers and is believed to be appropriate also for gangs, where deviancy and violence are high. These competencies will be connected to youth violence. “A Positive Sense of Self.” SCIP determined crucial differences between “self-schemas of aggressive and nonaggressive youth,” such as differences in self-efficacy and ability to enact particular actions (Sullivan et al., 2008, p.36). Youth, who are more confident, develop pro-social reactions to negative situations and are less likely to engage in violent behaviour (Sullivan et al., 2008, p.36). “Self-Control.” Low self-control, which encompasses emotional and behavioural regulation, affects aggressive behaviour in childhood and adolescence (Finkenauer, Engels, and Baumeister, 2005 qtd. in Sullivan et al., 2008, p.36). The relationship between poor emotion regulation and aggression has been documented by several studies (Orobio de Castro et al., 2005 qtd. in Sullivan et al., 2008, p.36). “Decision-Making Skills.” Aggressive and nonaggressive adolescents have different processes in the kind of information and goals they use to make decisions and their decision-making steps (Sullivan et al., 2008, p.37). It is significant to train the youth with critical thinking skills that will aid decision-making. “A Moral System of Belief.” Stage theories of moral development (Kohlberg and Kramer, 1969) offer significant conceptual support that links social reasoning and aggression (Sullivan et al., 2008, p.38). The youth need a meaningful moral system to guide attitudes and behaviours. “Prosocial Connectedness.” The inverse relationship between prosocial connectedness and aggression has been shown by several studies on secure attachment and family support (Malecki and Demaray, 2004 qtd. in Sullivan et al., 2008, p.38). At-risk and gang youth need to develop greater social connections with non-deviant organisations to enhance pro-social skills. Section 4: Proposed Social Marketing Campaign The main aim of the social marketing campaign is to influence the attitudes and behaviours of the target market in joining or remaining in gangs. We will measure success through increase in number of school enrolments, participation in counselling and training programs, as well as other youth events and programs, and decrease in gang membership. I, together with counsellors, will also conduct a survey before and after the campaign and measure changes in “positive sense of self, self-control, decision-making skills, a moral system of belief, and prosocial connectedness” (Sullivan et al., 2008, p.33). The primary factors that would most likely bring about changes are: 1) Improving the sense of self- This will reduce the need to identify with gangs. 2) Enhancing decision-making skills and self-control. This can improve how the youth handle their problems. They can become more critical and creative decision-makers and not feel that they are victims of society. 3) Developing a stronger moral system of belief. This can help the youth engender a moral way of living that will replace gang culture. 4) Boosting pro-social connectedness. This can be gained in school and employment, and other meaningful activities, as well as in the family, if the family can meaningfully participate in the process (or even present to begin with). Marketing P’s Product The product is a range of educational, livelihood, youth-interests, and training services. The social marketing campaign will be called: “MMMee” Me and My Community against Marginalisation, Equality Empowers. It offers different opportunities that the youth would be involved in, such as school, livelihood, sports, arts, and other interests. This campaign focuses on the “I”, not because the “we” is unimportant, because it is more important, at this stage, to develop a strong self identity, before choosing the groups that the youth want to be members of. The “me” or self has to be developed, nevertheless, through supportive social conditions and diverse public and private organisations. “Equality” is an important term, because I want to emphasise that one of the major benefits of the campaign is that it should lead to better social opportunities for the youth. It is also stressed that the youth can be agents of change and have more control over their lives by making the right decisions for their future. The useful images of the campaign are finishing school or getting livelihood skills to have a better life and becoming more prosocial or developing one’s talents, not because blending in is important alone, but so that they can have the competencies that can help them find healthier social relationships. The benefits of the campaign are improved competencies in “positive sense of self, self-control, decision-making skills, a moral system of belief, and prosocial connectedness.” Ultimately, it aims to provide an alternative to gang membership. Sports icons, who have been former members of gangs or lived in a gang-filled society, will be invited as speakers for the first major conference. The service is basically a networking project. I will serve as a liaison officer finding the right organisations and schools who have the same vision and values as I have for these youth. These organisations will be affiliates of the social marketing campaign. I will hire a partner for the campaign. We will refer the youth to different state or private programs with good track records and monitor their development. We will hire one counsellor for every five youth members. The initial targets are 100 at-risk and gang members, so a total of 20 counsellors will be needed. Counsellors should have Master’s degree in psychology and have some experience with youth members. The target youth market will be recruited through social welfare and other community organisations, as well as teenagers who volunteer themselves. Place The local community will the place where the market will receive the services, unless they specifically want to be transferred to a more accessible or better location. There is a need for a small office to be provided by the state or county. This will have an office with two (2) computers and five large desks and tables. Price The services are for free. The median salary for counsellors in Atlanta is $35, 345, according to PayScale.coms 2010 survey reports. The counsellors will be paid $38,000, to improve dedication to the youth. Total salary for them is $760,000 every year. They are expected to provide 9 hours of service per day, and even during weekends for emergencies. They should be open to contact to their clients 24/7. It is important for them to establish trust with the youth, so that they can help understand the latter’s motives, fears, and dreams. Promotion The promotion for the campaign will be in the form of a fund-raising concert/conference. First is the conference where invited guests will be asked to share their experiences in declining or leaving gangs. They will be role models for minority youth who also dream of a better life. Second is the concert. The concert will include popular local bands. The estimated cost for the event is $50,000, including food and drinks. Bands will be asked to play pro bono to save money. Sponsors and philanthropists will be invited through guerrilla marketing techniques, such as in malls and other hangouts of the wealthy, where a small team of marketers, even the counsellors, will recruit donors. Concerts will be done every year to raise funds and possibly expand membership. Section 5: Summary and Conclusion Young gang members often feel lost and neglected. They have, to some extent, jumped to the need of belonging, without even fully forming their self-identity. As a result, they are prone to poor decision-making skills, aggression, and become antisocial and violent. They think that gangs can offer a viable and meaningful way of existence. This report offers a social marketing campaign that seeks to bridge that social and psychological deficit. “MMMee” Me and My Community against Marginalisation, Equality Empowers, aims to help the youth develop a strong self identity, so that they can avoid becoming part of gangs or leave their gangs. It offers different opportunities that the youth would be involved in, such as school, livelihood, sports, arts, and other interests. The campaign aims to change the antisocial and psychotic attitudes and behaviours of at-risk youth and gang members through a social and psychological approach. It is community-based and aims to involve families, schools, and like-minded public and private organisations. MMMee is about the youth and their empowerment as critical and creative individuals. It is about their narrative and how they can be equipped to change it, so that they start a new life away from gangs and move closer toward their real dreams and aspirations in life. Reference List Arfaniarromo, A., 2001. Toward a psychosocial and sociocultural understanding of achievement motivation among Latino gang members in U.S. schools. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 28 (3), 123-137. Currie, D., 2010. Survey finds widespread gangs, drug problems in U.S. schools. Nations Health, 40 (8), 7. Johnson, S. and Muhlhausen, D.B., 2005. North American transnational youth gangs: breaking the chain of violence. Trends in Organized Crime, 9 (1), 38-54. Malec, D., 2006. Transforming Latino gang violence in the United States. Peace Review, 18 (1), 81-89. Myers, J., 2000. Is there a youth gang epidemic? Education Digest, 66 (3), 34-39. PayScale.com., 2010. 2010 survey reports. Online, http://www.allpsychologyschools.com/psychology-careers/counseling/counseling-salaries (accessed 3 May 2011). Rios, V.M., 2010. Navigating the thin line between education and incarceration: an action research case study on gang-associated Latino youth. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 15 (1/2), 200-212. Sheley, J.F., Zhang, J., Brody, C.J. and Wright, J.D., 1995. Gang organization, gang criminal activity, and individual gang members criminal behavior. Social Science Quarterly 76 (1), 53-68. Sullivan, T.N., Farrell, A.D., Bettencourt, A.F., and Helms, S.W., 2008. Core competencies and the prevention of youth violence. New Directions for Child & Adolescent Development, 2008 (122), 33-46. Tapia, H.A., Kinnier, R.T. and MacKinnon, David P., 2009. A comparison between Mexican American youth who are in gangs and those who are not. Journal of Multicultural Counseling & Development, 37 (4), 229-239. Rodríguez, L.F. and Brown, T.M., 2009. From voice to agency: guiding principles for participatory action research with youth. New Directions for Youth Development, 2009 (123), 19-34. Valentine, G., 2007. Theorizing and researching intersectionality: a challenge for feminist geography. Professional Geographer, 59 (1), 10-21. Zastrow,C. and Kirst-Ashman,K., 2010. Understanding human behavior and the social environment. 8th ed. California: Brooks/Cole. Read More