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By Joyce Ritchie
Traditionally, that is prior to the 1980s, gangs were primarily friendship affiliations.
Now, however, gangs are ruled most often by intimidation, drugs, and illegal and violent acts, said Richmond Calvin, professor of education at IU South Bend.
Calvin notes these statistics: about 10 percent of gang members these days are young females and they are becoming more and more violent; about 2 percent of gang members are "hard core" -- the murderers, rapists and those who create serious violence; and about 40 to 50 percent of gang members fall into the category of "wannabes."
"Those latter, the 'wannabes,' are the ones we have the potential to keep from becoming hard core," said Calvin.
To that end, this past summer Calvin led a series of workshops designed to equip participants with a repertoire of techniques and strategies in prevention, intervention and treatment to combat increasing gang activity and violence. More than 30 area educators, school counselors, school administrators and parents participated in the workshops, which focused on solutions to real problems through role playing, research and community resources.
Psychodramas provided opportunities to practice strategies and skills with respect to counseling and teaching gang members. Each participant had to develop a repertoire of gang vocabulary and learn how to identify various types of gangs through physical characteristics and symbols. Research projects profiled gang activity and successful models of prevention and intervention from Nigeria, Canada, across the United States, regionally and locally. An examination of the cultural aspects of gangs -- how gang activity is influenced by ethnicity, religion, income and region of the country -- served as a framework by which to answer the questions:
What drives youngsters to gangs? What alternatives exist to gang activities? What preventive actions have worked? What is the role of family life in prevention? What processes do gangs use to recruit? What makes young people vulnerable?
On the latter, Calvin points to the common threads that cross economic, social class, cultural and geographic boundaries.
"In the inner cities and in the suburbs, young people today will tell you they feel disconnected from their families and society, alienated and unwanted," said Calvin."Youngsters face issues of dysfunctional families, working parents, absent parents or overwhelmed parents. Or personal problems, high rates of depression and suicide. A sense that the system has failed them. And the gang can fill a void of belonging, can be nurturing, can be an escape from personal problems."
These are not the sorts of issues for which the legal authority or incarceration can provide the cure, he pointed out.
"Educators, child protective services, mental health organizations, parents, foster parents, grandparents and legal guardians, social services and community-based organizations -- we all have to bring forces to bear to confront the growing problem of gangs in our culture, to provide support and meaningful alternatives, especially to the 'wannabes.'"