Suburbs See Largest Increase in Teen Gang Activity

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More kids are joining gangs than ever before and reports of gang violence are on the rise.  For the first time, gang activity has been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, says a report by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Suburban areas saw the largest increase in gang activity at 22 percent followed closely by rural communities.  Part of the problem, according to the report, is the lack of gang awareness among community leaders, parents, and school. The report, “Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs,” says that many kids join gangs for protection, respect, and money, among other reasons.  Gang members exhibit common risk factors that include antisocial behavior, alcohol and drug abuse, and mental health problems.  Almost all gang members were involved in previous delinquent acts. The report also describes prevention and intervention strategies for kids at various levels of gang participation.  Kids at risk for joining gangs should be taught refusal skills while those already in gangs should join intervention programs.

School Crime Data Reveals Safety Concerns for Georgia Children

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A new report on school crime and safety shows that students and teachers still have serious concerns in Georgia and across the nation. The Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics compiled data from 2008 - 2009 to give us a snapshot of what’s going on in public high schools across the state:

8.2% of Georgia students said they were threatened or injured with a weapon at school
4.2% admitted they carried a weapon to school during the month prior to the survey
11.7% were involved in a physical fight on school grounds
32.9% said drugs were available to them on school property
4.2% admitted using alcohol on school grounds
7,000 teachers (5.8%) said they were threatened with injury by a student
4,900 teachers (4%) said they were physically attacked by a student
35.2% of teachers said student misbehavior interfered with their teaching

The national snapshot is somewhat different, since the surveys included different age groups.  A startling number of children – 1.2 million – were victims of crime at school.  They reported 619,000 thefts and 743,100 violent crimes and assaults.  (Students surveyed in 2008 were 12-18 years old)  Here are some other surprising numbers:

15 homicides and 7 suicides of children at school during the 2008-2009 school year
8% of students were threatened with a weapon at school
20% of schools reported gang activity
32% of students said they were bullied in 2007

Reducing Gang Activity: OJJDP Best Practices

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Looking for some help to reduce gang crime in your neighborhood? Doing a thorough assessment of the nature and scope of the youth gang problem in your community is just one of the Best Practices from OJJDP. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has just released a new report called Best Practices To Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP’s Comprehensive Gang Model, which includes nationwide research on effective gang reduction methods. Some of these Best Practices include:

Addressing the problem
Holding youth accountable
Providing relevant programming
Coordinating community participation

For the full model, click here.

Atlanta Teens Fight Crime

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Crime victims and former gamg members came together at Atlanta City Hall this week to celebrate the group called  Zone Safety Atlanta.  It’s a peer mentoring program that introduces teens to good citizenship and practical skills.  One of the founders calls it “Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts meet urban America. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on this program, which began during a crime wave in 2002.  Zone Safety Atlanta is credited with reducing recidivism by 60% and violence in schools by 80% among young people and gang members who participate.