Gang Youth as a Vulnerable Population for Nursing Intervention

Substance Use Profiles Among Gang-Involved Youth: Social Ecology Implications for Service Approaches

Substance use is a frequently cited health risk behavior in the youth gang literature, yet little is known about how substance use patterns vary among gang-involved youth or the social ecological factors that contribute to potential variation. Developing relevant and effective service approaches will require an understanding of this variation and the malleable factors that are likely to promote or inhibit particular patterns of use. Using latent class analysis, we identified four substance use classes within a school-based sample of gang-involved youth (n = 2,770): Non-Users (38%), Past Users (15%), Casual Users (27%), and Frequent Multi-Users (21%). These classes were distinguished by substance type, frequency of use, and source of access. Demographic and substance use-specific ecological factors across the family, peer, school, and neighborhood contexts were found to significantly differentiate these classes. Specifically, acceptance of use by parents, friends, and neighbors, along with a lack of family rules and high accessibility in the neighborhood, significantly differentiated use patterns. Findings highlight the need for service approaches that are responsive to the unique needs of individuals and their environments. Implications for practice are discussed, including the potential utility of applying a harm reduction service framework to address youth gang substance use.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Possibilities for Criminal Law Reaction in Europe: A Review

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the newest dangerous contagious disease in the world, emerged at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020. World Health Organization at the daily level publishes numbers of infected patients as well as several dead people around the world and in every region particularly. However, public health and criminal law are inevitably linked. National criminal laws in Europe mainly prescribe criminal offences for transmitting a dangerous contagious disease. Numerous states have closed their borders, quarantining their nationals that entering in the state. Strangers cannot enter in European Union. However, many do not abide by the restrictions, and people who have become ill with coronavirus walking the streets and committing a criminal offence. The authors in the work, in the first place, explain the connection between public health and criminal law and then elaborate criminal jurisdictions in Europe.

County lines: how gang crime is affecting our young people

'County lines' is the term used for the proliferating mobile phone lines used by gangs to infiltrate county towns where a profitable drug market is identified. The National Crime Agency reports that 88% of police areas in England and Wales have either an established or emerging County Lines problem in their area. With an estimated 46 053 aged 10-18 years in England in a gang, the activities of gangs and County Lines have a devastating impact on young people, vulnerable adults and local communities. Young people engaged in County Lines activities are at hugely increased risk of child sexual exploitation, criminal conviction, violence, drug addiction and trafficking. It is essential that healthcare staff receive a high standard of training as seen in other organisations and that time is taken to try to identify and intervene with those at risk of gang exploitation at an early stage, to try to prevent significant harm.

Factors associated with youth gang membership in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

This Campbell systematic review examines the predictors of youth gang membership in low- and middle-income countries. The review summarises findings from eight reports from five countries and the Caribbean region. The lack of available evidence limits the extent to which clear conclusions can be drawn about the factors associated with youth gang membership. The review is based on a very small number of studies, and has significant limitations in coverage. The limited evidence of the correlates of youth gang membership suggests factors that may drive gang membership and suggests areas where interventions may prove promising in the family, school, and community domains, as well as provide a starting point for future studies.

Plain language summary

Evidence shows which factors predict gang membership in low- and middle-income countries, but more studies needed: Youth gang membership is associated with delinquency, violent crime and trafficking. A range of individual, peer, family, school and community factors can predict the likelihood of youths getting involved with gangs. Knowledge of these factors can be helpful for reducing gang membership.What is this review about?: Youth gang membership is associated with delinquency, violent crime and trafficking - and gang members are themselves frequently the victims of these offences. Yet youth gangs can also provide a form of social capital, a sense of belonging and purpose to disenfranchised youth.This review identifies the factors associated with young people joining gangs, and the differences between gang-involved and non-gang-involved youth. Understanding these associations is essential to reduce the levels of gang membership and the incidence of related violence.What studies are included?: Studies of youth gangs in in low- and middle-income countries were included, with participants aged 10-29 years. The studies had to assess an individual predictor or correlate of youth gang membership, where the predictor or correlate is a single characteristic, not a conglomeration of multiple constructs. Included studies had designs including data on both gang-involved and non-gang-involved youth, recruited with strategies that were eligible.Nine studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. One of these studies did not report all the required data and so was not included in the analyses. The studies were conducted in Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean, El Salvador, China and Brazil. Factors associated with gang membership [Table: see text] What are the main results in this review?: The eight studies analysed in the review address the associations between life events and circumstances, and the likelihood of being a youth gang member across five domains: individual, peers, family, school and community. Significant associations were found with factors in each domain.What do the findings of this review mean?: The lack of available evidence limits the extent to which clear conclusions can be drawn about the factors associated with youth gang membership. The review is based on a very small number of studies, and has significant limitations in coverage. The limited evidence of the correlates of youth gang membership suggests factors that may drive gang membership and suggests areas where interventions may prove promising in the family, school, and community domains, as well as provide a starting point for future studies.How up-to-date is this review?: The review authors searched for studies published up to September 2013. This Campbell systematic review was published in December 2018.

Summary

Background: Youth gang membership is well documented throughout low- and middle-income countries, and youth gang members are increasingly associated with delinquency, violent crime and trafficking. They are also frequently the victims of these offences, often in disproportionate numbers compared to non-gang youth. Yet youth gangs can also provide a form of social capital, a sense of belonging and purpose to disenfranchised youth.Extensive research, primarily from high-income countries, has categorized five domains of risk and protective factors for youth gang involvement, drawn from the realm of developmental psychology. These domains are: Individual, Peer, Family, School, and Community. Youth gang membership is seen as the culmination of interrelated structural and process factors, which in combination with negative life events may increase the attractiveness of gang membership.This review aimed to identify the factors associated with young people joining gangs, and to identify and quantify the differences between gang-involved and non-gang-involved youth. Understanding these associations is essential to reduce the levels of gang membership and the incidence of related violence.Objectives: This review addresses two key objectives: (1) to synthesize the published and unpublished empirical evidence on the factors associated with membership of youth gangs in low- and middle-income countries;(2) to assess the relative strength of the different factors across the domains of individual, family, school, peer group and community.Search methods: The search was conducted in English, French, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese. We searched 55 locations including academic databases, journals, and grey literature locations, and located over 54,000 documents to screen.Selection criteria: We included studies meeting the following criteria: Reports on youth gangsAll participants aged 10-29 yearsLocated in low- or middle-income countryAssesses an individual predictor or correlate of youth gang membershipPredictor or correlate is a single characteristicPredictor or correlate is not a conglomeration of multiple constructsEligible recruitment strategy for respondentsStudy design included data on both gang involved and non-gang involved youth. Data collection and analysis: We conducted a broad abstract screening of over 54,000 titles and abstracts, followed by a close abstract screening of 1509 abstracts. We screened the full-text of 98 documents. Nine studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. One of these studies did not report sufficient data to allow the calculation of a standardized effect size, and so was not included in the analyses. A total of 85 independent effect sizes were extracted from the eight studies with sufficient data to create a standardized effect size. We calculated Cohen's d from continuous data and the Log Odds Ratio from dichotomous data. All effects were categorized into the five predictor domains, and further classified into conceptually similar group and risk or protective factors. We synthesized the data using multiple random effects meta-analyses with inverse variance weighting.Results: The eight studies analysed in the review address the associations between life events and circumstances, and the likelihood of being a youth gang member. All studies were based on cross-sectional survey data, using different statistical methods to identify correlations between youth characteristics and the likelihood of being a member of a youth gang. No longitudinal, prospective or retrospective studies were located. The studies were conducted in Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean, El Salvador, China and Brazil. We organized the analyses according to five domains of factors that may be associated with youth gang involvement and summarize the main findings below: Individual factors Delinquency, alcohol and soft drug use, male gender, risky sexual behaviours, employment, psychological risk factors (low self-control, impulsivity), and victimisation were each associated with significantly higher odds of youth gang membership.Psychological protective factors (empathy, future orientation, belief in moral order) were associated with lower odds.No association between youth gang membership and age, minority ethnicity, or protective behaviours surrounding sexual behaviour or alcohol and soft drug use. Peer factors There is a small amount of evidence that socialising with delinquent peers is associated with increased odds of youth gang membership, but there is no significant relationship demonstrated between socialising with pro-social peers and youth gang membership. Family factors Negative family environments are associated with more youth gang membership, while both a positive family environment and parental monitoring were associated with lower odds.One study showed that youth from middle-income families had greater odds of reporting youth gang membership than those from either high or low-income families.No significant relationship was seen between youth gang membership and parental education or parental attitudes to antisocial behaviour. School factors Low school attachment, exposure to violence at school, educational difficulties and opportunities for prosocial involvement all show significant association with more youth gang membership.No significant relationship was seen between youth gang membership and level of education, school type, or school performance. Community factors There were significantly higher odds of youth gang membership amongst those who reported that they were exposed to violence in their neighbourhood.No demonstrated association between youth gang membership and neighbourhood environment risk or protective factors, or geography. Gang membership is typically viewed as a culmination of interrelated structural and process factors. Understanding the factors associated with youth gang membership can help inform prevention strategies to reduce the levels of youth gang membership and the incidence of youth gang violence. Unfortunately the small number of studies contributing to any analysis limits the conclusions that can be drawn from this study. Moreover, many of the individual and peer associations identified in this review (such as delinquency, drug use, and sexual risk factors) may be as a result of gang membership rather than its cause. However, our results suggest certain family, school, and community level factors associated with gang membership that could be addressed through targeted preventive interventions, particularly family environment, parental monitoring, school attachment, educational difficulties, and exposure to violence in the home, at school, or in the community.Authors' conclusions: The lack of available evidence limits the extent to which we can draw any clear conclusions about the factors associated with youth gang membership. This current review is based on a very small number of studies, and has significant limitations in coverage; however it provides some limited evidence of the correlates of youth gang membership. Specifically, this review suggests factors that may drive gang membership and suggests areas where interventions may prove promising in the family, school, and community domains, as well as provide a starting point for future studies.

Adolescents' Perceptions of a Gardening Activity at a Juvenile Justice Center

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to elicit participants' ( N = 16) perceptions of a gardening activity at a juvenile justice center and to determine whether past exposure to gardening and farmers markets was associated with their perceptions of the gardening experience.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional, exploratory program evaluation was conducted in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. Adolescents completing the Cadet Leadership and Education Program participated in gardening in order to provide produce to a local farmers' market.

METHOD

After the growing season, participants were asked to complete a nine-item questionnaire about the gardening activity during one of their usual classes at the facility. The questionnaire assessed perception of the experience and past exposure to gardening and farmers' markets.

FINDINGS

Participants reported favorably about their participation in the activity, knowledge gained from the activity, and their intent to garden in the future. Those who had previously gardened had more favorable perception of gardening than those who had never gardened. Gardening is an inexpensive means of teaching teamwork and delayed gratification and providing a sense of empowerment and may benefit at-risk adolescents during incarceration.

Treating Youths in the Juvenile Justice System

Adolescents involved with the juvenile justice system have higher rates of risky sexual behaviors, resulting in high rates of sexually transmitted infections and increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus, early or complicated pregnancy, and parenting issues. Comorbid substance abuse, gang association, mental health issues, and history of having been abused as children result in further elevated rates. Girls and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths represent growing subpopulations with special risks. Increasingly diverted to community-based alternatives, juvenile justice-involved teens obtain most of their medical care from community providers, who need to understand their risks to provide appropriate, optimal care.

Homies with aspirations and positive peer network ties: associations with reduced frequent substance use among gang-affiliated Latino youth

In marginalized urban neighborhoods across the USA, Latino youth are disproportionately represented among the growing number of youth gangs. Substance use among gang-involved youth poses both immediate and long-term health risks and can threaten educational engagement, future socioeconomic stability, and desistance. Conventional assessments of gang-affiliated youth and their peer network overlook the possibility that positive peer ties may exist and can foster health promoting behavior norms. Drawing on a positive deviance framework, in this study, we examine the relationship between positive peer network characteristics tied to post-secondary educational aspirations and frequent alcohol and marijuana use among Latino, gang-affiliated youth from a neighborhood in San Francisco. Using generalized estimating equations regression models across 72 peer network clusters (162 youth), we found that having close friends who plan to go to a 4-year college was associated with a lower odds of frequent marijuana and alcohol use (OR 0.27, p = 0.02; OR 0.29, p = 0.14, respectively) and that this association persisted when adjusting for risk characteristics (OR 0.19, p < 0.01; OR 0.25, p = 0.12). Public health can advance gang intervention efforts by identifying protective and risk factors associated with non-criminal health outcomes to inform participatory research approaches and asset-based interventions that contribute to building healthy communities.

Supporting Gang Violence Prevention Efforts: A Public Health Approach for Nurses

The impact of gang violence on a youth's risk for death or injury is tremendous. Prevention of complex societal problems, such as gang violence, requires a substantial effort and commitment from many sectors and disciplines. Nurses are uniquely positioned to help lead such efforts. Understanding the public health perspective to gang violence may be an important tool for nurses attempting to prevent this problem. The public health approach has four key components: defining and monitoring the problem; identifying risk, protective, and promoting factors; developing and evaluating interventions; and dissemination. This article outlines these components, current research on gang violence, and concludes by summarizing critical challenges for nurses to consider as they contribute to public health initiatives to prevent gang violence.

Substance Use Among Gang Member Adolescents and Young Adults and Associations With Friends and Family Substance Use

PROBLEM

Gang membership is an indicator of chronic substance use. Social network studies indicate that substance use in youth is related to substance use in friends and family; however, no such analyses among gang youth have been conducted.

METHODS

Interviews were conducted with a sample of young gang members (n = 60) in Los Angeles. Univariate analyses were conducted.

FINDINGS

Cigarette use in gang members was strongly associated with cigarette use in friendship networks. There were no associations for use of alcohol and marijuana.

CONCLUSIONS

Few associations emerged between substance use in participants and their friends/family. Possible explanations for these findings are presented.

Gang youth, substance use, and drug normalization

Gang membership is an indicator of chronic substance use. Evidence from North America and Europe indicates that gang youth, in comparison to their non-gang peers, are more likely to report alcohol and illicit drug use (Bendixen, Endresen, & Olweus, 2006; Gatti, Tremblay, Vitaro, & McDuff, 2005; Gordon, et al., 2004; Hall, Thornberry, & Lizotte, 2006; Sharp, Aldridge, & Medina, 2006). Qualitative studies focusing specifically on gang members have also noted high frequencies of lifetime rates of use for a variety of illegal substances (De La Rosa, Rugh, & Rice, 2006; Hagedorn, Torres, & Giglio, 1998; Hunt, Jo-Laidler, & Evans, 2002; Mata et al., 2002; Valdez, Kaplan, & Cepeda, 2006). Gang youth, however, have differential attitudes towards the use of various illegal drugs. Marijuana, for instance, has remained a staple within gang culture, but the use of other drugs has been heavily stigmatized, especially heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine (MacKenzie, Hunt, & Joe-Laidler, 2005; Moore, 1978; Taylor, 1990; Waldorf, 1993). Perspectives with good explanatory power should be flexible enough to elucidate these distinctions regarding illicit substance use patterns and preferences.

[Drugs use as a cultural practice within gangs]

Today, the social phenomenon of drugs trafficking and violence related to drugs has tended to minimize the implications of drugs consumption in gangs. This article is based on in-depth interviews in young gangs in the metropolitan area of Nuevo León, Mexico, with a view to reflecting on and analyzing the drug as a cultural practice within gangs. In the search for meaning, the first thing that is shown is the beginning of gang members in drugs consumption, and the form how drugs are presented by family members and friends of the gang is described. Next, we described the meaning of drugs use in everyday life and show the extent to which drugs use is acceptable and normalized.