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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 11:30 am
Time: 11:30 am
Results for family influences
1 results foundAuthor: Young, Tara Title: The Role of the Family in Facilitating Gang Membership, Criminality and Exit. A Report prepared for Catch22 Summary: The role of the 'gang' in shaping and encouraging criminality has an ever-increasing profile within the criminal justice system, the third sector and across the political landscape. The growing perceived threat from the gang has occurred against the background of increasingly restrictive legislation and numerous policy documents focusing on what might be responsible for the possible rise in gang membership. One often-cited factor is the role of the family and its influence on gang membership. It is this relationship that the report explores. Research aims The overarching aim of the research was to examine the role of the family in gang formation criminality and exit in order to inform best practice for practitioners working with gang-involved families. Methodology Catch22 commissioned an exploratory piece of qualitative research based on a literature review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups (91 interviews across the study). The interviews were conducted with former and current gang members, families of gang members and practitioners working with gang-involved individuals and their relatives. The sample is broadly drawn from areas with reputations for high gang activity. In order to capture the geographical, ethnic and cultural differences in gang membership the research was conducted across three sites: London, the West Midlands (Wolverhampton and Birmingham) and Scotland (Glasgow). Findings The role of the family in gang formation - People who associate with or are in gangs come from all types of families. Irrespective of family composition, the majority of respondents described families experiencing multiple difficulties (such as economic deprivation, family separation, bereavement, domestic violence, imprisonment, and alcohol and substance misuse) that preceded their involvement with gangs. This supports findings elsewhere that suggest successful family interventions have a range of positive generic outcomes, for example gang desistance to reduction in truancy, and drug and alcohol problems. - In regard to family composition, the evidence of this report suggests that the combination of multiple family difficulties and gang involvement is more likely to occur, and will have more severe consequences, in single-parent, larger than average families. However, it should be borne in mind that gang activity was also found in dual-parent and smaller families. - The role of the family should not be overstated as a key driver of gang formation. It occasionally plays a role in driving young people into gangs but the wider socio-economic context is often as, if not more, important. The family and the influence of the gang - The gang's influence on the family should not be overstated. Gang involvement by one family member is not likely to infringe on the wider family's personal safety or mean all family members will join a gang. - The structure, influence, definition and activities of the gang are not uniform. Gangs are influenced by geography and ethnicity, therefore the consequences for and influence on the family of gang membership will differ between London, Scotland and the West Midlands. - The vast majority of families experience a member's gang involvement as an additional and significant problem in their lives that may precipitate serious consequences (physical, emotional or punitive) for the gang member. - Gang involvement is likely to increase the risk of victimisation to those family members directly involved and to their associates and friends. - Although some family members may benefit materially from the criminality of their children, these benefits are usually overshadowed by the feelings of helplessness, shame, tension and anxiety that gang-involved family members can generate. - Beleaguered families feel they lack the ability to impose appropriate boundaries and the necessary skills to address their children's gang involvement. This feeling of powerlessness is most acute when their children reach adolescence. The role of the family in desistance - Male siblings and/or wider family members play a significant role in encouraging gang membership, whilst mothers and sisters are key enablers in facilitating desistance and exit from a gang. - Leaving a gang is difficult, not primarily due to fears of gang-led reprisals or violent leaving rituals, but due to the perceived lack of viable alternatives for gang members. - Family members and networks can facilitate gang exit but success is driven by the gang member themselves. - Practitioners need to be aware of the local criminal landscape and be sensitive to multiple family issues. They will need to deploy strategies that can empower family members who are sometimes complicit, sometimes in denial and sometimes ignorant of their family members' involvement with gangs. - Despite the plethora of recent initiatives, there still remain gang-affected families and individuals who feel shunned and isolated from current attempts to engage them. - A change in physical location (family-assisted or not), away from local gangs and criminal opportunities, was seen by family members to be the most effective strategy for gang exit. Details: London: London Metropolitan University, 2013. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2014 at: http://www.catch-22.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Catch22-Dawes-Unit-The-role-of-the-family-June-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.catch-22.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Catch22-Dawes-Unit-The-role-of-the-family-June-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 132220 Keywords: DesistanceFamily InfluencesFamily InterventionsGangs (U.K.)Youth Gangs |