Youth gangs

Question 1

History

Answer 1

Frederic = father of research –> stated that there is a higher risk of gang forming in changing neighbourhoods

Albert Cohen: people with similar ideas form bonds
–> people achieving social status by conventional lines
–> people achieving social status by inverting conventional lines

Malcolm Klein: project to decrease criminality by conventional interventions (positive activities) –> increase in criminality –> how? cohesiveness of group
–> breaking apart that cohesiveness = decrease criminality
(Eurogang)
–> difference drug and street gang
Street gang is unstructured, undisciplined and has no goals while drug gangs are more like a business (structured, disciplined and has a goal)

Question 2

Definition

Answer 2

no clear definition or consensus
street gang : street oriëntated group where criminal behaviour is part of the groups identity
–> no definition in Belgium (criminal organization or association of criminals)
–> Brussel: made formal description = BU status: a group of youngsters that have commited at least 2 gang related acts in 6 months

Question 3

Risk factors

Answer 3

Society –> poverty, job availability
Neighbourhood –> access to drugs?
School –> learning disability, no connection with education
Peers –> bad friends
Family –> no parents, on parent, violence, …
Individual –> marihuana use, violence use, ….

Question 4

Retaliation

Answer 4

1. Transivity
2. Infinity
3. Obscurity
4. Omnipresence
5. Fatalism
6. Superiority
   ==> fear is driving force (consequence: carrying weapons to defend)

Question 5

Drug gangs

Answer 5

Use of violence –> 3 main reasons (Goldstein):
1. Violence is effect of the drug
2. Violence to finance the drug habit
3. Violence linked to drug trade –> not a good idea for the drug gang –> as long it is not visible it is not a priority
–> if drug gangs use violence it is most likely to fend of police that has their focus on them or when there is a opportunity to expand their territory which can lead to conflict with rivals
–> gap in market system

Sky ECC = app that has been used a lot by criminal organization because it is hard to breach –> police did breach it which led to big police intervention