10,237 research outputs found
Gang Wars: The Failure of Enforcement Tactics
This report attempts to clarify some of the persistent misconceptions about gangs and to assess the successes and failures of approaches that have been employed to respond to gangs. We undertook an extensive review of the research literature on gangs because we believe that the costs of uninformed policy making -- including thousands of lives lost to violence or imprisonment -- are simply too high
Faith-Based Institutions and High-Risk Youth
Many of the highest-risk youth in poor communities are not reached by traditional youth programs, but are served by churches and other faith-based institutions that are both well-established and seriously concerned about the welfare of these vulnerable youth and their families. This report, the first in a series from P/PV's National Faith-Based Initiative for High-Risk Youth, provides an initial overview of strategies employed by faith-based institutions in 11 cities, including lessons learned about the distinct contributions of faith-based institutions to the work of civil society, and the challenges of building partnerships between faith-based groups and other institutions -- law enforcement and juvenile justice agencies, foundations and philanthropy, local government and community organizations
Group and intergroup parameters of gang activities: An introduction and research agenda.
In introducing this Special Issue on gangs, we overview the thrust of its papers, demonstrating how they
assist in plugging research gaps from the dearth of psychological attention to gangs. The papers therein
raise important theoretical considerations of group process effects, social identity, and communication
influences in gangs. Also included are empirical examinations of how attitudes to formal organized
crime groups may nurture progang views, how social networks bridge gang divides, the dehumanization
and social dominance association with gang membership, and how membership longevity associates
with gang members’ attitudes to their group. We conclude with theoretical prospects and empirical
vistas for future work. For instance, vitality theory may help explain members’ immersion in gangs,
discursive strategies could explain how youth are enticed into gangs, and examinations of community
and law enforcement attitudes to gangs may provide insight into how oppositional attitudes are
fostered on both sides of the gang divide
The Importance Of Community: Investing In Effective Community-Based Crime Prevention Strategies
After more than a year of listening to our community, researching evidence-based practices, and evaluating our own efforts, 'The Importance of Community' inaugural report unequivocally asserts that our greatest potential of reducing homicides and incarceration as a result of committing a crime is deeply rooted in collective community action and targeted interventions aimed at serving narrowly defined populations. In this report, The Indianapolis Foundation will summarize years of community-based recommendations and provides a specific community investment plan based on multiple community convenings, crime prevention related reports, and listening to our community
Gangs, displaced, and group-based aggression
Many urban areas experienced an alarming growth of gang activity and violence during the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries. Gang members, motivated by various factors, commit a variety of different types of violent acts towards rivals and other targets. Our focus involves instances of displaced aggression, which generally refers to situations in which aggression is targeted towards individuals who have either not themselves committed an offense against the aggressor (s), or who provide an offense that is too mild to justify the aggression levels that are expressed towards them. We discuss how social–psychological mechanisms and models of two types of displaced aggression might help explain some aspects of the retaliatory behavior that is expressed by members of street gangs. We also propose general techniques that have the potential to reduce such aggressive behavior
Where We Live Matters for Our Health: Neighborhoods and Health
Details how a neighborhood's physical and socioeconomic environments, such as safety and access to fresh produce, exercise opportunities, and medical services, affect residents' health. Highlights local interventions to make neighborhoods healthier
What is Working to Reduce Violent Crime? Evidence-Based Solutions
The purpose of this review is to examine and evaluate current approaches to reducing violent crime. The review reports on supportive techniques, strategies, programs, and practices that are evidence-informed to combat criminal activity, delinquency, and community disorder. Ineffective techniques, strategies, and programs are also included. The review provides potential strategies and programs that require additional empirical research to show whether they work. This review includes the integration of education, employment, social services, and public health services into efforts to reduce crime and ease the burden on law enforcement and justice systems. Recommendations for reducing violent crime are included
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