This book introduces the use of Aggression Replacement Training as with juvenile gang members. It describes the use of ART in a multiyear project with a series of very aggressive juvenile gangs in New York City. Working with gangs as a unit, the goal was to not only teach them anger control and other skills but do so in such a way that their real-world reference group (the gang) was turned, as much as possible, into a prosocial rather than an antisocial support group. The book also providees an introduction to the history of gangs, current gang demographics, gang aggression and its etiology, and a review and critique of the various types of gang interventions that have been and are being tried.
An effective gang intervention programme, Aggression Replacement Training (ART), is the subject of this book. Rearrest rates and other outcome results support the success of a project using the ART intervention approach with a series of very aggressive juvenile gangs in New York. Working with gangs as a unit, the goal was not only to teach them anger control and other skills, but to do so in such a way that their real-world reference group (the gang) was turned, as much as possible, into a prosocial rather than an antisocial support group. In addition, the book provides a thorough introduction to the history of gangs, current gang demographics, gang aggression and its etiology, as well as a review an
Gangs have long been a social and criminal threat to society. Introduction to Gangs in America explains how gangs are addressed as a criminal justice and public policy problem, providing a student-friendly, easily accessible, concise overview of the role, place, structure, and activities of gangs in American society. The book describes what gangs a
"[Gangs in America′s Communities] is one of the most comprehensive treatments of gangs in the marketplace. . . . I highly recommend its adoption as you will not be disappointed and, most importantly, neither will your students." —Elvira White-Lewis, Texas A&M University-Commerce Gangs in America′s Communities, Third Edition blends theory with current research to help readers identify essential features associated with youth violence and gangs, as well as apply strategies for gang control and prevention. Authors Dr. James C. Howell and Dr. Elizabeth Griffiths introduce readers to theories of gang formation, illustrate various ways of defining and classifying gangs, and discuss national trends in gang presence and gang-related violence across American cities. They also offer evidence-based strategies for positioning communities to prevent, intervene, and address gang activity. New to the Third Edition: A series of new case studies document the evolution of numerous gangs in large cities, including the community aspect, evolutionary nature, and how cities influence levels of violence. New discussions highlighting the role of social media, insights into how gangs use it to recruit members, and the response from law enforcement. Current nationwide gang trends are discussed to encourage readers to analyze and interpret the most recent statistics for which representative data is available. Updated macro and micro gang theories enable readers to explore a recent encapsulation of leading developmental models. New discussions around female gang members offer readers potentially effective programs for discouraging females from joining gangs—along with highly regarded delinquency prevention and reduction programs that have the potency to be effective in reducing gang crimes among young women. A comprehensive gang prevention, intervention, and suppression program in Multnomah County, Oregon shows how theory was successfully applied to reduce gang activity in a local community. New research on "gang structures" and their rates of crime illustrate the connections between violent crimes and the amount of violent offenders within a gang. Additional discussion of distinguishing features (e.g., typologies) of major gangs, and numerous examples of gang symbols, tattoos, and graffiti has been added to help readers identify and differentiate various types of gangs.
Pulling together the most salient, current issues in the field today, The Handbook of Gangs provides a significant assessment by leading scholars of key topics related to gangs, gang members, and responses to gangs. • Chapters cover a wide array of the most prominent issues in the field of gangs, written by scholars who have been leaders in developing new ways of thinking about the topics • Delivers cutting-edge reviews of the current state of research and practice and addresses where the field has been, where it is today and where it should go in the future • Includes extensive coverage of the individual theories of delinquency and provides special emphasis on policy and prevention program implications in the study of gangs • Offers a broad understanding of how other countries deal with gangs and their response to gangs, including Great Britain, Latin America, Australia and Europe • Chapters covering the legacies of four pioneers in gang research—Malcolm W. Klein, Walter B. Miller, James F. Short Jr., and Irving A. Spergel
Psychology of Gang Involvement expands existing knowledge by applying psychological knowledge to gangs, including how gang members think, their mental and emotional well-being, and their perceptions of gang involvement, as well as issues relating to gang prevention and intervention strategies. This book offers readers a clearer understanding of the important role that social psychological processes play in the formation and maintenance of gangs and gang membership. It will enhance readers’ understanding of gang members’ social cognition, emotional intelligence, well-being, and mental health, as well as how these factors potentially promote and sustain individual gang involvement. Readers will discover also how these important psychological characteristics vary according to an individual’s commitment to a gang. Organized in three sections, the first focuses on issues relevant to theoretical perspectives of gang involvement. Chapters include detailed examinations of a gang member’s experiences and the implications of these for theoretical development, and considerations of the importance of social and psychological issues such as group processes and levels of commitment to gang membership to, understand and explain involvement in gangs. The second section centers on issues such as adverse childhood experiences and trauma, and examines their links to male and female gang membership as potential risk factors and outcomes of gang involvement. The section concludes by contemplating how the mental health, traumatic experiences, and involvement in violence compares between gang members and other violent men in adulthood. The final section considers current responses to gang membership by evaluating individual and group-based approaches to gang prevention and intervention strategies, and concludes with a theoretical conceptualization of how a strengths-based approach could work to reduce gang involvement. This book will be a useful text for a wide range of readers interested in, or working with gang members, including academics and students, practitioners, youth workers, clinicians, and criminal justice agents.
The task of researching gangs is fraught with difficulties, central to which are issues of definition and reliance on certain forms of data for analyses. These methodological issues have been acknowledged as limitations in most of the existing research, but they have not been explored as being potentially serious flaws contributing to the proliferation of myth, or as aggravating factors that exacerbate what is essentially a relatively uncomplicated social process. Also unclear from existing studies is the extent to which suppositions about gangs feed moral panics or contribute to the misidentification or over-specification of a problem. This captivating volume focuses on gangs, their formation, identity and behaviour with a view to developing a preventive strategy.
Criminology: Explaining Crime and Its Context, Ninth Edition, is a highly acclaimed textbook offering a broad perspective on criminological theory. It provides students of criminology and sociology with a thorough exposure to a range of theories, contrasting their logic and assumptions, but also highlighting efforts to integrate and blend these frameworks. In this ninth edition, the authors have incorporated new directions that have gained traction in the field, while remaining faithful to their criminological heritage. Among the themes in this work are the relativity of crime (its changing definition) with abundant examples, historical roots of criminology and the lessons they have provided, and the strength and challenges of applying the scientific method. This revision offers enhanced coverage of biosocial theories of crime, more global examples, and a new chapter on youth violence, improving on the most comprehensive and balanced theory text available for undergraduates.
Although the public interest in criminal predators is extensive, the criminology of criminal predators is fragmented. Violent Offenders: Theory, Research, Policy and Practice, Second Edition aims to demystify the many different types of violent offenders we hear about in the media. This newly revised and updated Second Edition is a compilation of original scholarship from an international collection of applied and academic criminologists. Based not only on history and academic research but also on the experiences of author Peter Conis as a 25 year veteran of law enforcement, it provides students with a realistic view of why people commit violent crimes and how our criminal justice system, as a whole, responds to these offenders and these violent acts. It contains cutting-edge material on the broad category of criminal predators, including homicide offenders, sex offenders, financial predators, and conventional street criminals. Unlike other texts on the subject that narrowly focus on one type of criminal (e.g., serial killers), this updated Second Edition illustrates the systemic importance of predation in antisocial behavior. This book is divided into two parts; part one covers the theoretical and disciplinary foundations of the study of violent behavior, spanning the disciplines of sociology, psychology, biology, and neuroscience. Part two covers the policy and practice of responding to violent offenders from the insightful perspectives of people who work among them on a daily basis. New and Key Features of the Second Edition: • Contains 10 NEW chapters (5 in theory and research and 5 in policy and practice). These additions provide greater overall coverage of sociological theory, evolutionary psychology theory, and female offenders. The section on policy and practice is organized to be consistent with the criminal justice system, from law enforcement through the courts, to corrections. • Hands-on research and practitioner expertise illustrate today’s study of criminal predation • Provides clear explanations of how criminological theory relates to the formation of a criminal offender to help students understand the reasons behind a person’s violent actions
