Prevention of Youth Violence and Gang Involvement From Research to Practice Gira Bhatt & Roger Tweed 1 2 Preamble Youth involvement in violence and criminal gang activities impacts all of society. While several projects and programs target at-risk and gangentrenched youth, it is critical that prevention and focus on youth strengths also remain part of the solution. • The goal of this summary report is to highlight the outcomes of a collective effort involving eight academic researchers and eleven community agencies. Together they planned academic research, developed evidence based violence prevention programs, and implemented these in several community agencies. • The report is divided into eight sections, each providing an easyto-follow summary of salient research findings followed by their implications for future programs to protect youth from antisocial, violent and criminal gang influences. In the final section, sample youth programs implemented by a variety of service and community agencies are described • Information on accessing the original sources of research and resources is provided at the end It is hoped that this report will help all who are committed to youth well-being; parents, families, teachers, police, policy makers, youth program managers. Gira Bhatt, PhD Roger Tweed, PhD 3 Foreward Hon. Baltej Singh Dhillon Hon.LLD., C.Dir. Senator/Sénateur (British Columbia) I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Gira Bhatt for allowing me the opportunity to share a few words on the critical work highlighted in this booklet. I am deeply appreciative of the dedication and unwavering commitment of Dr. Bhatt and Dr. Tweed in advancing research that is so urgently needed in our society today. Their ability to transform research findings into practical, everyday applications provides parents, educators, and community leaders with the tools to support youth in building a strong sense of identity—one that resists the lure of criminal organizations. This booklet stands as a testament to the power of collaboration between academia, community organizations, and law enforcement. It reflects a shared commitment to preventing young people from being drawn into the dangers of gang involvement. For every parent who has lost a child to violence, no conviction or successful investigation can ever replace what was taken from them. Prevention may be less visible, harder to measure, and lack the spotlight of high-profile law enforcement cases, but its impact is far greater. Every officer I have worked with would choose to keep a child out of a gang rather than investigate a gangrelated tragedy. This work is about giving youth a future—one free from violence, crime, and loss. One of the first groups to invite me to meet with them when I arrived at KPU in 2012 was Gira Bhatt and Roger Tweed. They hosted me in the “Acting Together” office in the Birch building at KPU Surrey. I remember it as an enriching discussion of their work, of their engagement with the community and their dedication to the long-term support of youth. “Acting Together: Prevention of Youth Violence and Gang Involvement” was a Community-University Research Alliance Alan Davis, PhD project, funded by the Social Science and Humanities President and Research Council. Such funding awards are highly competitive, Vice Chancellor, KPU. and in the case of CURA projects, require huge community support up front. At the time, this was one of the few worldclass research projects that KPU, as a new university had landed, and I am pleased to say that several others have followed. This booklet is packed with useful data and ideas about how to prevent youth violence and gang membership. The ideas are based on the research that Gia and Roger and their colleagues undertook, and it exemplifies the very best that universities can contribute to the health of their communities. I hope everyone who reads this and keeps it at hand will benefit from its wisdom. 4 Acknowledgement Chief Constable Norm Lipinski, Surrey Police Services, who provided inspiration to develop evidence-based, practical strategies for police-community collaboration. His enduring support and outreach efforts have been critical in establishing a trusting relationship with the Surrey community stake holders. Balwant Sanghera, community activist and a leader who has worked tirelessly to connect academic researchers, community, and policy makers to develop and implement action plans for prevention of youth violence. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General which provided funding through Civil Forfeiture Grant program to develop and implement youth and family programming at youth service agencies. Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a strong commitment to community engagement provided valuable support through internal grants and in-kind contributions to research and applied projects. Partners of “Acting Together: Community-University Research Alliance” project funded by Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, who came together and worked collaboratively to establish a strong partnership to address the issue of youth involvement in violence and criminal gangs. Academic Partners • KPU: Dr. Gira Bhatt, Dr. Roger Tweed, Dr. Nathalie Gagnon • SFU: Stephen Dooley, Late Dr. Jodi Viljoen, Dr. Kevin Douglas • Langara College: Indira Prahst • University of Victoria: Dr. Scott McDonald Community Partners • City of Surrey • Surrey School District (#36) • Surrey Police Services • RCMP • Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit -British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) • Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) • South Asian Community Coalition Against Youth Violence (SACCAYV) • Multi-lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (MOSAIC) • South Asian Student Advocacy by Teachers (SASAT) • DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society • Indo-Canadian Voice (Newspaper) • Shaw Cable Systems 5 Focus on Strengths • The researchers acknowledged that all youth have internal psychological and external social strengths regardless of their involvement in violence or criminal gangs. • It is helpful to identify these strengths because strengths can keep youth moving in a good direction. Each teen has strengths that can be further developed through effective youth programming, parenting practices, and school activities. Strengths that are minimally present may also be fostered to further protect youth. Three Domains of Strengths CHARACTER STRENGTHS Gratitude, Authenticity, Forgiveness, Humility SOCIAL CONNECTIONS Family, Peers, Neighborhood, School COGNITIVE BELIEFS Recognizing the risks and lure of Gangs and Organised Crime Youth programs fostering the above strengths are most likely to succeed in being effective in their crime-prevention efforts 6 7 Four Research Studies Study I: High School Youth 4 24 Local high schools Grades 7th - 8th Average age: 12 -13 years 226 Females 194 Males Standardized measures Demographics, Gang attitudes, Beliefs about violence, Character strengths, Social connections, Association with delinquent peers, Parental monitoring, Cultural adaptation (Acculturation), Violent behavior. 420 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS Longitudinal study Participants tested at time 1 and again at time 2 after 6 months Study II: At-risk Youth PARTICIPANTS Recruited from youth drop-in centers, youth probations offices and custody centers 50 Females 59 Males 109 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS Average age: 15 years 25% had been previously arrested 63% had committed an offense in the past six months 24 Same standardized measures as the High School study plus additional measures. Also, longitudinal study: Time 1 and Time 2, six months apart 8 Study III: Anti-gang Persuasion Strategies PARTICIPANTS 33 Females 7 Males 28 Females 27 Males 40 Undergraduate Students Average age 20.5 years 58 youth from alternative high schools and youth organizations Average age 16.3 years 29 Anti-gang message posters Appeal to fear (e.g.” you will die”) OR Appeal to social norm and isolation e.g., “no one comes to your party”, “They don’t want a gangster friend.” Standardized Measures: Gang approval, Perceived gang benefits/ costs, Pro-gang attitudes Study IV: Qualitative PARTICIPANTS Youth, Parents, Teachers 59 9 Interviews Focus groups 9 Section I Anti-Gang Messages for Youth What Works? What May Not Work? Common sense may dictate that highlighting dangers of joining criminal gangs such as ending up in a prison or dying in a gang shoot out would be an effective strategy. While it is important that youth are made aware of these consequences, research has highlighted an alternate and stronger persuasive strategy With a goal to optimize efforts, time, and money spent on antigang messaging it is critical to examine: A B The existing knowledge of youth: What do they know about the costs and benefits of joining a gang? How realistic are these? How best to package and convey anti-gang messages that will be effective: What does research show on what is the most persuasive strategy that would appeal to teenage youth? 10 What do youth know about costs and benefits of joining a criminal gang? % of high school youth who agreed with the statements What GOOD things may happen from joining a gang? What BAD things may happen from joining a gang? I would be protected I would get money I would get into trouble with police I would feel guilty 21.3% 13.7% 84.1% 75.5% I would be part of a family I would fit into a group better I would get killed I would get hurt 9.5% 7.9% 82.8I% 82% I would have excitement I would be “cool” I would get into trouble with parents There are no bad things 7.6% 7.6% 82.8% 4.7% I would feel successful There are no good things I would lose my non-gang friends I would get into trouble with teachers 4.5% 73.2% 76.4% 73.3% 11 What do kids know about gangs? Research High School Study A vast majority, over 80% of youth, even youth at greatest risk of joining gangs, know the negative consequences for joining a gang such as getting killed, getting into trouble with parents. Small minority, about 26% of youth however, believe myths such as that gangs usually bring wealth, respect, and protection from violence. Research suggests these are the youth at greatest risk of joining gangs. Practice Anti-gang messages therefore should f ocus on debunking the myths of perceived benefits of joining a gang e  .g., “There is no money at the end of the day”  “There are no real friends or families in the gang world” “Gang members often get subjected to physical violence.” 12 Section II Anti-gang Persuasion Strategies Pro Gang Attitudes After Watching Two Types of Messages TYPICAL HIGH FEAR POSTERS TYPICAL SOCIAL NORM POSTERS e.g., “You will die” e.g., “Your friends will disown you” Associated with HIGH PRO-GANG ATTITUDES Associated with LOW PRO-GANG ATTITUDES 61.60% 48.30% * Pro-Gang Attitudes Questionnaire had 27 items rated on a 1-to- 5-point scale *** This research data is from KPU undergraduate Honors project by Brooke Knowlton (2011) 13 Do Scare Tactics Work? Research High School Study Messages about fear of death are less impactful on teenagers as death and dying seem remote to them. Acts of bravado such as triggering a police chase might appeal to thrill-seeking teenagers, especially at-risk youth. Teenagers are more receptive to messages that they can relate to such as threats of being disliked by peers, losing friends, and being excluded from social activities. Practice Avoid focusing on high scare tactics such as fear of death. Avoid gory images of guns, blood, skull, handcuffs. Instead, focus on threats to friendships and social life which matter most to teenagers. 14 Section III Parental Supervision Should Parents Resist Checking-in on their Teenage Kids? Parental supervision is generally examined by asking the youth whether an adult in the home knows where the youth is, what they are doing, and who they are with after school. Parents may resist close supervision of their kids out of fear of conflicts resulting in anger, bitterness, and alienating their teenage kids. “When not home, at least one of my parents, or guardian, or another adult family member knows..” Scale of 1-7 (1= very low supervision, 7=very high supervision) Where I am Average Rating 2.73 *Girls reported higher parental supervision (2.81) compared to boys (2.63) Who I am with Average Rating 2.25 *Girls reported higher parental supervision (2.65) compared to boys (2.43) What I am doing Average Rating 2.48 *Girls reported higher parental supervision (2.57) compared to boys (2.38) 15 Parental Supervision and Life Satisfaction Rating 1 = low life satisfaction, 7 = high life satisfaction 7 Life Satisfaction rating 6 5 4 3 2 1 Less Parental Monitoring More 16 Does Parental Supervision Enhance Life Satisfaction? Research Youth who report high supervision by their parents; i.e., their parents know where they are, who they are with, and what they are doing, report high life satisfaction. Life Satisfaction is a protective factor. Low life satisfaction is a predictor of reoffending (Jodi Viljoen et al. 2017) Practice Parents or an adult in the family should usually know where their teenage kids are, what they are doing, who they are with. Start this early in child’s life so it becomes an expected parenting practice. 17 Section IV Are Ethnic-Minority Youth at a High Risk for Violence? While ethnic minority youth face many cultural adaptation challenges, their strategy for navigating these challenges may influence their risk for engaging in violent and criminal behavior. Integration The Best Outcome The youth feels comfortable in both their heritage culture and the host culture. Separation The youth prefers their heritage culture and rejects host culture. FOUR ways of cultural adaptations Assimilation The youth prefers the host culture while rejecting their heritage culture. Marginalization The youth cannot relate to either their heritage culture or the host culture. 18 Psychological Outcomes for Cultural Adaptation Statuses Is it considered to be of value to maintain cultural identity and characteristics? YES Integration YES Is it considered to be of value to maintain relationships with other (host) groups? * * * High Life Satisfaction Low Fighting Low Belief in violence Separation No * * Low self-esteem Low life satisfaction NO Assimilation * * Fights more High belief in violence Marginalization * * Fights more Low self-esteem Research High School Study 169 Ethnic Minority Youth (Spoke language other than English before age 5). 87 Males, 82 Females. Tested at time 1 and Time 2 (6 months later). Practice Promote Cultural Integration for ethnic minority youth. Encourage them to participate fully in both heritage and host culture. Create opportunities and activities that enhance positive interactions between ethnic minority youth and other cultural groups. 19 Section V Which Strengths Protect Youth from Violent and Criminal Influences? Fostering strengths rather than focusing on deficits and problems may prevent youth from being lured by negative social influences such as crimes and violence. 346 Highschool Students 395 High school Students 189 157 Males Females Assessed at 183 Males Time 1 212 Females Generalized trust: believing most people are trustworthy, helpful, and fair Forgiveness: being able to forgive others Gratitude: having a sense of thankfulness to others Time 2 (6 months later) (6 months later) Authentic living: being true to oneself and resisting peer pressure Assessed at Time 1 Time 2 Youth with high levels of 109 at-risk Youth (Justice involved) Belief in value of violence which precedes violent behavior is least common among youth with high self esteem (high view of self) and high humility (high view of others relative to the self) Most Common strengths: • Humor • Kindness • Bravery • Gratitude • Curiosity At-risk youth with high levels of Forgiveness, Social Intelligence, Kindness, and Fairness had less police contact at Time 2 Time 2 (6 months later) had lower levels of self-reported offenses, readiness for violence, and beliefs in violence. They also had lower level of pro-gang attitudes 20 Section VI Importance of Youth-Community Connections Youth who feel positively connected with their family, peers, school, and community at large are less likely to get involved in violence and criminal activities. What Factors Might Protect Youth Against Pro-Gang Attitudes? Positive connections with peers Positive connections with family No Gang Involvement Anti-Gang Attitudes Positive connections with School Positive connections with Community 21 Section VII From Research To Practice Criteria of Effective Youth Programming (from research by R. Lerner and others) 1. Builds enduring positive relations with role model adults 2. Communicates high expectations 3. Teaches life-relevant curriculum as a central component such as explicit social skills instruction, character strength instruction (e.g., gratitude, authenticity, forgiveness, faith in humanity), academic tutoring, resume skills, job-relevant skills, and devotes more time to this than to unstructured recreation time 4. Involves active learning (e.g., role playing, skill practice, student discussion of concepts) 5. Helps youth contribute to the well-being of other people - while interacting with the people being helped and - followed by reflective group discussion of these experiences 6. Allows youth to have leadership roles 7. Uses a published curriculum to guide program delivery (e.g., MindUP or LifeSkills) Includes mostly staff with a college or university degree 22 8. Includes at least some male staff or volunteers if program targets boys 9. Focuses on relatively small youth gatherings (i.e., fewer than 30 youth) 10. Provides support especially to youth who are at-risk or youth from distressed families 11. Provides support for academic success such as by offering tutoring 12. Provides support for personal skill development (e.g., stress reduction and self-control) 13. Explicitly teaches social skills/character strengths (e.g., www.strengthsgym.co.uk) 14. Recruits staff who have training or occupational experience in the program focus (e.g.,business professionals for teaching job readiness) 15. Assures that each lesson builds on prior lessons 16. Provides adult-supervised activities (e.g., nature walks, field trips) 17. Frequently tells youth stories of people who provide examples of positive character 23 Section VIII From Research To Practice Gangs and Violence Prevention Programs (from research by R. Lerner and others) Effective After-School Programs Have Several of the Following Features • • • • • • • • • Published curriculum for the program clearly outlining each activity and goals Include enhancing social skills Focus on building character and demonstrating how it is practiced Long enough to build role relations with role models, e.g., 8 weekly 2-hour sessions Provide support for school work and academic enrichment Include male staff (avoid all-female staff if the program targets boys) Provide training for the staff involved in the program development and delivery Develop highly structured activity sessions for the program Avoid “just leisure” or simply “feel good” activities; e.g., going to town for group lunch, or driving around in a police car ) Effective Mentoring Programs Have Several of the Following Features • • • • Target youth at risk Often tend to target mostly boys Recruit mentors who have some training or occupational experience Pair mentor and mentee on the basis of their shared interests 24 Effective Strategies for Fostering and Practicing Strengths • Provide opportunities for service learning serving a socially disadvantaged group; e.g., preparing food for soup kitchen, donation drive for gifts for poor children • Encourage writing Gratitude journal; specific experiences when they felt thankful for someone or something that happened to them • Include training for parents and caregivers on how to foster strengths in youth • Plan noncompetitive activities directed by an adult; e.g., going for a hike • Organize Strengths evening – Invite young adults who have succeeded despite challenges – Have them share their stories of choices leading to success. Don’t focus on their thrilling experiences resulting from bad choices – Have the youth form small groups with adult facilitators to discuss, identify and record character strengths that helped young adult succeed – Ask each group to share their discussion summary with the whole group 25 Planning Strength-Based Violence Prevention Program for Youth Step 1: Training the Trainer: Program Managers & Youth Leaders (May be attended by the leaders and administrators of the organization) Half Day Workshop led by community engaged academic experts that would cover • Overall review of strength-based prevention programs • Steps for developing structured syllabus for program plans and activities aligning with their target youth and organizational goals • A draft outline of sessions • Behavioral guidelines for both youth participants and facilitator during the program sessions Step 2: Finalize Structured Syllabus for each Weekly Session (Ideally 8 Sessions; 2 hours each) • Program managers determine topics for each session, develop clear timeline with activity plans, homework assignment, and instructions for each 2-hour session • Workshop: Academic experts, organization’s leaders, program managers, youth facilitators. Provide feedback and come up with a syllabus agreeable to all • Assign roles for each session (facilitator, activity assistants, observer/ note taker) Step 3: Pre-registration call for Program Participants • Aim for 10-12 participants for each training program • Emphasize the importance of attending all planned sessions Step 4: Conducting each Session as per the Plan • Each session should be led by 2-3 youth facilitators or often break large groups into small discussion groups of youth, each led by a role-model young adult • Designate one as an Observer/Note taker and inform the group of their presence and explain that they will not participate in the session Step 5: Assessment of each Session • Facilitators, program managers, observer/note taker have 30-min debriefing immediately following each session • The Note-taker makes a summary of the session – how many participants, what went well, what may need changes adding debriefing comments • Academic experts review these summaries and provide additional feedback Step 6 (Recommended): Celebration of Youth • Plan a celebration of participating youth, give certificates or other tokens of appreciation for completing the program, may invite friends, family, and local community leaders 26 27 Sample Session Activity Plan Sunday Day/Mo/Yr Topic 1: Making Choices Facilitator Name 10 min • • • Introduce self and welcome youth participants Housekeeping announcements(cellphones/bathrooms) Basic orientation about the plan for the session Facilitator Name 5 min • • Introduce the Topic Introduce the Guests • 2-3 adult speakers sharing a time when they could have gone in a bad direction, but chose to move in the right direction to have a fulfilling life. Guests will speak on choices they made throughout their life and how they finally got to where they are today (Focus more on choices, decisions rather than on how difficult life was) • Thank guests for sharing their story and (if possible) let participants know the guests will come back during the group activity for any questions Announce the break Guest Speakers Facilitator Name 20 min 5 min • Break 15 min Facilitator Name 30 min Facilitator Name 30 min • • Youth will be divided into groups of approximately 7 – 9 youth and asked to discuss/reflect on: 1. What challenges did each of the guests face? 2. How did they overcome these challenges 3. What choices they had? 4. Did they make all the right choices? Why? How? • • Facilitator Name 10 min Facilitator Name 10 min Debriefing 30 min Pizza snack After pizza, groups will separate and go to different areas for the activity Youth gather back and each group chooses one member from their group to summarize the main points of their discussion Include the guests if they stay for this part of the activity Homework assigned • Think of a difficult time in your life or in the life of someone you know and reflect and write down what you would have done to overcome it • • Conclusion and a primer for the following week Ensure the underage youth have a designated adult to pick them up • Facilitators, observer/note taker discuss what went well, what could be changed 28 Sunday Day/Mo/Yr Topic 2: Self Identity Facilitator Name 10 min • • • Welcome youth participants Housekeeping announcements Basic orientation about the plan for the session Facilitator Name 10 min • • Homework check-in from the last week Ask for volunteers to share their select homework points Facilitator Name 5 min • • Introduce the Topic Explain the importance of confidentiality of what gets discussed in the session Facilitator Name 15 min Facilitator Name 15 min Break 15 min Give a piece of paper to each participant with two questions • Who are you? Write 5 points or more to describe yourself • What type of person would you like to be next year? Why? • Pizza • Facilitator Name 20 min • • Facilitator Name 15 min Facilitator Name 10 min Facilitator Name 5 min Debriefing 30 min Youth will be asked if any of them would like to share their answers and have a general respectful discussion around it • Youth are provided with a news story of an ethnic minority youth who does not like their ethnic features of the body, and cultural traditions (e.g., a young Sikh boy reports that someone pulled his turban when he was on his way back from school and cut his hair short. Turns out it was him who had cut his own hair). Divide the class into three groups and give each group one of the following questions. Ask them to discuss their thoughts around it. 1. Why would this boy cut his own hair ? 2. What can his classmates do so a similar feeling does not occur for other ethnic minority youth ? 3. Why is it important to maintain one’s own cultural heritage? Gather the group and ask each group which question they got and what discussion points they would share with the group. Homework assigned • Write about your “future self” – how do you see yourself in future as an adult? • • Conclusion and a primer for the following week Ensure the underage youth have a designated adult to pick them up • Facilitators, observer, note taker discuss what went well, what could be changed 29 Other Suggested Topics for Training Workshops Kindness Character Strengths Humility Helping Forgiveness Volunteering for Community Services Resisting Peers Resisting Peers General Trust Optimism Perseverance Humor 30 Parenting Tips Gang Prevention: What Can Parents Do? • Always know where your kids are, what they are doing, and who they are with. Explain to them that you are asking questions about their activities and whereabouts because you are interested, you love them, and you care about them. • Help your kids choose friends who are not involved in any criminal or antisocial activity. • Make your kids understand that although money is important, long lasting happiness in life comes from having good trusting relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and the community. • Build strong family ties by making family events fun such as regular family dinners, outings, watching movies and playing games with them. • Accompany your kids to after-school activities such as sports, and stay for the whole duration as often as possible. • Participate in parent-teacher meetings and events of your kids’ schools. • Take interest in your kids’ homework and make sure they complete them. • Encourage your kids to participate in school activities and do volunteer work in the community. Do the same yourself. • Ensure that they take certain pride in their cultural / ethnic / religious / linguistic heritage while fully participating in the mainstream life of our society. • Have open communication with your kids so they feel comfortable to share with you their concerns and worries. Thank them and reward them for sharing information even when the information might be potentially worrisome. • Remember that kids learn a lot from observation. So modeling good behavior yourself such as leading a life that is free of crimes, drugs, and violence is very important. 31 • Say thank you often to people around you, and encourage your kids to express their thankfulness to other kids, family members, neighbors, teachers, and safe strangers (e.g., store workers). • Remain consistent in your message to kids that although you love them unconditionally, antisocial behavior is not acceptable. Ask questions for an honest conversation. • Emphasize the importance of ‘being true to self’ and reward them for doing the ‘right thing’ despite peer pressure. • Demonstrate that forgiving others for their harmful actions towards you is better than trying to take/plot revenge. • Keep an eye on your kids’ choice of movies, videos, and internet browsing habits. If you see a consistent theme of violence and crimes, talk to them and steer them to other entertainment choices. • If you are worried that your kids may be involved in antisocial and/or selfdestructive behavior, remember that it can be changed. Avoid ‘tough love’ such as cutting them off or forbidding them from going out. Instead, stay involved and let your kids understand that making mistakes and wrong choices are part of learning and that you will always help them correct their mistakes. • When you are worried about your kids’ well-being and need some help, talk to their school teacher, counselor, or even a police officer. An earlier check and prevention will help your kids stay on track and avoid getting into dangerous life of crimes, violence, and gangs. 32 33 Gira Bhatt and Roger Tweed are faculty members of the Psychology department at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. As educators and researchers, they have been actively involved in community engaged efforts targeting prevention of youth violence and gang involvement, and promoting community well-being. For over 10 years they have worked closely with various community agencies to help develop evidence-based programs for youth and families. Gira Bhatt is a recipient of KPU’s Distinguished Scholar Award and the Canadian Psychological Association’s Award for Distinguished Contribution to Public or Community Service. Roger Tweed is a recipient of KPU’s Chancellor’s Chair Award. Resources & References Available Upon Request FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT gira.bhatt@kpu.ca roger.tweed@kpu.ca 34 35 April 2025 36