Children Webmag - Youth work approaches to gang culture

The findings of a recent survey

By Dave Wiles

Introduction

Frontier Youth Trust (FYT) e-mailed a number of contacts from our network to gather information relating to youth work with young people involved with gangs. Participants were asked the following questions:

1. In your youth work practice are you aware of any gangs that exist in your area of work? If yes - can you offer a single sentence that describes the gang/s?
2. Are you aware of any youth workers who work amongst gangs? If so can you offer a sentence to describe their work?
3. What do you think are the main issues/problems that young people who are involved in gang culture and activity face? (E.g. Do they face issues or have needs that are any different from other young people’s? What is unique?)
4. What do you think youth work has to offer young people who are involved in gang culture and activity?

A definition of ‘gang’ was not offered; however, several responded by seeking a definition and it seemed useful to share the following interpretation.

The term "youth gang" is commonly used interchangeably with "street gang," referring to neighbourhood or street-based youth groups that meet "gang" criteria. However, the lines between youth gangs, street gangs, and organised criminal enterprises are often blurred (see Klein, 1995a). Miller's (1992:21) definition of "youth gang" is applicable: "a self-formed association of peers, united by mutual interests, with identifiable leadership and internal organisation, who act collectively or as individuals to achieve specific purposes, including the conduct of illegal activity and control of a particular territory, facility, or enterprise."

Factors that those involved in this research identified as contributing to defining ‘gangs’ were to do with territory, common identity, history, and violence. Some participants found the notion of ‘tribe’ a more helpful term, or concept, and used it to refer to young people who were associated through skating, sports etc..

FYT received 23 replies and of these eight said that they were working with gangs and four were aware of others who were working with gangs. The main methodology mentioned in relation to working with gangs was that of detached youth work.

There was an acknowledgement by most participants that the issues that young people in gangs faced were often the same as other marginalised young people. For example one respondent said,
“I don't think they face different problems to other teenagers, but in my experience they haven't ever had the support structures in order to learn how to deal with them, and therefore seek their support from their peers rather than older people, who have failed them in the past or who, either through ignorance, lack of time or sheer apathy just label them trouble. A number have family in prison, conditions like ADHD, serious problems at home, large family splits which are known to the Police and Social Services.”

However, some participants felt that gang membership was an indication of particular need and gave rise to real concerns. For example one respondent said,

“It appears that those who are either attracted to the gang culture or become involved through peer and family pressures are also young people who are most difficult to reach by various youth services. These young people are often more likely to leave (or non-attend) school prematurely; experiment with alcohol and illegal drugs and sexual activity at a younger age; come from homes where there is a lack of stability for a number of complex reasons possibly related to parental addictions, poor physical and mental health of carers or parents, poverty, overcrowding and lone or absent parental care amongst others. They are more likely to experience long and frequent periods of unemployment; more vulnerable to violence from other young people due to being linked with a gang; more likely to suffer poor health for a number of reasons - chaotic diet, poor understanding of sexual health issues, misuse of alcohol and drugs, poor mental health, bad housing conditions.

“Being involved in a gang does limit opportunities (or there is the perception that it does - which is bad enough) - access to facilities (leisure, employment, advice and support services amongst others) in opposing housing schemes; restricted social networks; scaring and physical injury may restrict employment opportunities (and potential positive relationships for that matter); involvement with the police and courts (and/or Children's Hearing system depending on age and seriousness of crime); stigma; isolation from a local community due to 'anti-social behaviour'.”

The specific themes and issues that were mentioned by participants included:

Responses ranged from explanations that seemed social in nature - “Poor employment opportunities” - through to explanations that seemed more focused on personal responsibility - “They enjoy hanging around and 'working' with each other. They don't like being told what to do and doing 'menial' jobs, which makes them unsuitable for work. In addition, their gang activities may have yielded a criminal conviction, making constructive activity even more difficult.”

This issue is linked to employment and it was noted that not it was not necessarily applicable to everyone that joins a gang. However, it is a common occurrence.

This is a frequently mentioned issue that young people in gangs face and a number of the projects that participants were involved in were offering guidance, advice and information.

These were cited by participants as being of particular concern. Gang membership could be seen as an indication that these factors were even more pertinent for the young people involved in gangs than other young people. This kind of psychological internal dynamic is illuminated by one respondent in the following quote,

“They become intolerant to how other people live. They can’t cope with weakness because as a unit they will always be strong and they will never see themselves as worth anything because the worth is in the gang.”

This was mentioned by a number of respondents not only in terms of the fear and concern that this creates in wider society but in terms of the fear it generates between gangs and amongst young people. For example one person said,

“There is a fear of other gangs. There becomes a fear of moving off the estates for fear of being shot. Inter and intra-gang rivalry can mean they get shot. Death is a big issue.”

The generational context to potential gang membership was mentioned by some, for example,

“Many can be identified as having parents who have had difficulty raising their kids or of having a significant trauma i.e. lack of support, funds, social skills, poor initial start at school, and society is increasingly discouraged to respond positively to those who are different or difficult to relate to. For those who don’t fit in, for example, in early schooling, once one is behind, it is increasingly difficult to catch up - (there is still a very high number of illiterate 9 - 12 year olds) - especially when one feels different already because of many social factors.”

THE YOUTH WORKER ROLE

Youth workers have the ability to meet young people where they are emotionally and socially, through a number of methodologies and some workers are committed to building relationships over a long period of time. Many youth workers do not represent statutory bodies, and although they need to be aware of legal issues, they can be perceived as a less threatening form of authority in the lives and experience of young people in gangs. Therefore they are often able to discuss issues with young people in a more relaxed and candid manner. Current practice and ideas shared by participants suggest the following roles that youth workers might adopt and which may be of significance in working with young people in gangs:

Engaging in activities that are legitimate and respond to the young person’s need to ‘let off steam’ helps. One worker wrote that youth work should:

“Open up avenues of legitimate activity. Help them understand the harm they cause and the impact on others. Tackle underlying issues, which prevent them from moving forward and realising their potential.”

As one worker pointed out, youth workers have access to services and resources that are non-stigmatising and enable young people involved in gang culture to experience leisure and educational opportunities that are a brief escape, which could allow a fresh perspective. For example, a time away from the housing scheme on a residential.

Working with those young people who are thinking about gang membership may raise awareness about the associated risks and dangers and seek to reduce harm. One worker wrote:

“… I have contact with some younger guys on the edge of some gangs in the area where I work. I play an informative and educative role with those on the fringe of gang involvement”.

As one worker put it, youth workers (some who may have been involved in gang culture) can offer support as a mentor, a significant adult, or a more objective sounding board to discuss consequences and options. Of course this does raise questions about safety, risk and a number of procedural questions about how workers engage with gangs. However, it is important to note the potential that this kind of relationship has in informing, educating and supporting young people in gangs.

Several of the respondents underlined the importance of forming non-judgemental relationships with young people in gangs. Whilst acknowledging a number of issues and risks that this can raise the main emphasis of responses were that young people in gangs, who do sometimes engage in unacceptable behaviours and can be dangerous, are also often misrepresented. As two workers put it,

“They are so often stereotyped by all areas of community. A few can spoil it for all. Because of this, they're often denied opportunities.”

A cycle of stereotyping and labelling can aggravate problems for the young people and wider society. One respondent said that things like friendship, acceptance and love could redress the balance of life and create a better purpose for life for gang members. Whilst not wanting to understate the grief and pain that gangs can cause to others, many of the workers wanted to emphasise the damaged sense of self-worth that gang members can have about themselves and underlined the importance of responding to their need for an inner sense of worth. Other workers expressed this as offering,

“A fresh perspective "there is more to life". Empowerment. Help with issues. Acceptance where they would often meet with rejection. Enhancement of social skills, which leads to trust and more respect re others.”

It is important not to underestimate the power of providing a “listening ear and a safe place to be”, as one worker expressed it. To young people who may have had traumatic relationships with adults as they have grown up and who now face the seemingly endless barrage of hostile adults who seek to control their behaviour, a trusting relationship with a youth worker might be a real point of development and positive change.

One worker recognised the importance of mediation in the youth worker role. In recognising that gangs can be misunderstood and are subjected to a number of stereotypical attitudes, a youth worker may be well placed to enable understanding between differing groups in a community or wider society. This kind of mediation may be between adults and young people, professionals and community groups or indeed between differing groups of young people. As one worker put it,

“A youth worker (this may need to be negotiated carefully) can act as a mediator to help bring opposing gangs together to share common stories. By building relationships with both parties there may be opportunities to discuss openly how gang culture affects those involved (this will include some positive and perceived positive influences/motivations - for instance the community identity of gang culture as well as the 'buzz' of planning (passive aggression) and combat).”

A general concern expressed by workers in relation to their work in this area was that many of the roles that they felt were important to working with gangs and gang members would not be valued by ‘the powers that be’ (funders, managers, government etc.). They felt that youth workers needed more time to give to these kinds of young people, seeing the role as one that might require a number of years of relationship and trust building. The workers were not over-idealistic about the task, recognising the many demands and suggested that youth work in this context should be,

“… Free from statutory targets and time constraints (something that funding can impose) so that workers can come alongside gang members for a number of years, and become a support structure that grows with them allowing them to become the people they can be, without them feeling that they need to prove themselves to anyone.”

One worker summed up the importance of youth work simply providing a safe environment to begin to allow young people in gangs to find themselves and develop as individuals and part of a group or community. He wanted to ensure that they had a place to explore relationships in a supportive environment/relationship with adults. The words that he used struck a chord with my own personal hopes for young people when he said:

“They simply need a reference point in the desert. The assurance of a friend for the future and ways to develop themselves without fear. Role models where love and care are seen and experienced as the norm.”