Taking Stock of Gang Violence: An Overview of the Literature

2021 ◽  
pp. 2045-2065
Author(s):  
Matthew Valasik ◽  
Shannon E. Reid
Keyword(s):  
Gang Violence

scholarly journals Making Sense of Murder: The Reality versus the Realness of Gang Homicides in Two Contexts

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Marta-Marika Urbanik ◽  
Robert A. Roks
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Group Cohesion ◽  
Gun Violence ◽  
Gang Violence ◽  
Gang Members ◽  
Lethal Violence ◽  
Street Culture ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
The Hague ◽  
Gang Life

Despite the proliferation of research examining gang violence, little is known about how gang members experience, make sense of, and respond to peer fatalities. Drawing from two ethnographies in the Netherlands and Canada, this paper interrogates how gang members experience their affiliates’ murder in different street milieus. We describe how gang members in both studies made sense of and navigated their affiliates’ murder(s) by conducting pseudo-homicide investigations, being hypervigilant, and attributing blameworthiness to the victim. We then demonstrate that while the Netherland’s milder street culture amplifies the significance of homicide, signals the authenticity of gang life, and reaffirms or tests group commitment, frequent and normalized gun violence in Canada has desensitized gang-involved men to murder, created a communal and perpetual state of insecurity, and eroded group cohesion. Lastly, we compare the ‘realness’ of gang homicide in The Hague with the ‘reality’ of lethal violence in Toronto, drawing attention to the importance of the ‘local’ in making sense of murder and contrasting participants’ narratives of interpretation.

scholarly journals Exploring criminal justice policy transfer models and mobilities using a case study of violence reduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 174889582199160
Author(s):  
William Graham ◽  
Annette Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Policy Transfer ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Gang Violence ◽  
Single Model ◽  
Violence Reduction ◽  
Transfer Models

Although there is growing interest in criminal justice policy transfer, a dearth of empirical research in this area has been acknowledged. This article addresses this gap by presenting the results of research conducted on a case of policy transfer of a criminal justice programme, focused on group/gang violence reduction, from America to Scotland. Policy transfer models were used to develop, frame and conduct the analysis of what was considered a ‘successful’ programme transfer; however, it was found that no single model could fully account conceptually for a key finding of the research, namely a policy transfer ‘backflow’. This article details the key processes, mechanisms and outcomes of the policy transfer and in doing so reflects on the usefulness of orthodox and non-orthodox/social-constructionist policy transfer approaches in understanding the outcomes of this case of criminal justice programme transfer.

Assassination threatens to destabilise Haiti further

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Security Council ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The State ◽  
Gang Violence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Un Security Council ◽  
Political Turmoil

Significance The assassination follows months of political turmoil and rising gang violence and comes just weeks before elections, scheduled for September 26. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who has taken charge of the country, said yesterday that measures were being taken “to guarantee the continuity of the state and to protect the nation". Impacts Further political assassinations would exacerbate unrest. The Dominican Republic has closed its border, fearing a migrant surge; the situation will bolster public support there for a border wall. The UN Security Council meets today and may authorise emergency action in Haiti; any substantial redeployment, however, would take time.

Explaining the directionality of gang violence with court records

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisela Bichler ◽  
Alexis Norris ◽  
Citlalik Ibarra
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Crime Control ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Internal Conflict ◽  
Quadratic Assignment ◽  
Gang Violence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Court Records ◽  
Explanatory Factors

Purpose Studies of gang violence typically use police reports to investigate the structure of gang conflict, but overreliance on a singular data source could impede crime control efforts. Extending networked criminology, this study aims to explore what court records reveal about the directionality of gang conflicts. Design/methodology/approach Controlling for the presence of a civil gang injunction (CGI), the authors use multivariate quadratic assignment procedure regression models to disentangle factors thought to account for structural patterns of gang violence mapped from 933 prosecutions involving 307 gangs associated with violent conflict affecting the City of Los Angeles (1998–2013). Specifically, the authors compare competitive advantage to the explanatory power of turf proximity. Findings One measure of turf proximity outperforms all other explanatory factors – gangs with turf centrally positioned in a turf adjacency matrix are significantly more likely to launch attacks, be victimized and exhibit the highest levels of imbalance in their violent involvements. Regarding competitive advantage, the number of cliques and level of internal conflict are significant. Finally, being subject to a CGI is associated with initiating violence. Originality/value Court cases offer a feasible alternative to police data when investigating patterns of intergroup street gang violence.

scholarly journals Patching up the differences: An exploration into Whanganui gang identity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Feona Sayles
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Textual Analysis ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Gang Violence ◽  
Online Newspapers ◽  
The Public ◽  
District Council ◽  
Group Identities ◽  
The Media

<p>The District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Act 2009 (‘Gang Insignia Act 2009’) came into force in 2009 and prohibited the ‘display’ of ‘gang insignia’ within ‘specified areas’ of the Whanganui District. The purported aim of the legislation was to reduce intimidation of the public and confrontations between gangs. There was no requirement for intent on the part of the wearer of the insignia. This made the Whanganui gang insignia ban unique in terms of criminal law as it maintained that harm was inflicted due to group identity rather than specific conduct. This raises the question of how an identity can be constructed so that it is considered capable of causing criminal harm. To address this question, this research looked at the ways in which the media contributed to the construction of gang identity during the period of 2004 to 2013. This was achieved through (1) a content analysis of reports from three print newspapers and two online newspapers, (2) a content analysis of reader interactions with the reports, and (3) a textual analysis of two print newspapers. The research was guided by moral panic theory so looked for ways in which the events related to stages or elements of moral panic. The focus of the moral panic was also expanded so as to explore the overall context operating at the particular time. It was found that the events did correspond to a moral panic model and that whilst the panic was triggered by key occurrences of gang violence, the underlying motive for the panic could be attributed to racial tensions, penal populism, and the use of a terrorist frame. Whilst this research focuses on the construction of gang identity, the techniques used by the media can be applicable to other group identities.</p>

Traumatic Death from Rival Gang Violence in Rivers State, Nigeria

2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 340-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Seleye-Fubara ◽  
E Bob-Yellowe
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Illegal Drug ◽  
Common Method ◽  
Gang Violence ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Precipitating Factors ◽  
Autopsy Study ◽  
Traumatic Death ◽  
Male Ratio ◽  
Rivers State

A prospective autopsy study in Rivers State, Nigeria, was undertaken to evaluate the patterns of death as a result of rival gang clashes and to highlight the menace of rival gang violence. Between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2003 medico-legally autopsied bodies in Rivers State, where death was the result of gang violence, were studied after being served with the coroner's form. In all cases, standard autopsy procedures were adopted and reports were issued. A total of 58 bodies were autopsied for the study. Three (5.2%) were females and 55 (94.8%) were males, giving a female to male ratio of 1:18.3. The age group of 10-29 years recorded the highest frequency of death (65.6%) with a peak in the age group 20-29 years (39.7%). Gang violence and politically motivated mob action were the most common precipitating factors (60.3% and 20.7% respectively). Firearms (41.4%) was the most common method applied for the killing. Death was more common in the rural areas of Rivers State. Gang clashes, volatile political rallies, illegal drug peddling and illegal oil bunkering should be banned and stringent laws be passed. Such laws should also cover gun handling and should be enforced.

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