Peers, Gangs, Risk, and Prevention

Youth Justice — Week 7. Key concepts from the comprehensive notes.

What makes gang research difficult?

Inconsistent definitions of gangs and membership affect measurement and comparison.

What can gangs offer young people?

Friendship, independence from adults, status, respect, and sometimes escape from abusive or chaotic relationships.

How do primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention differ?

Primary prevents problems starting; secondary stops existing problems continuing; tertiary seeks to control and prevent future problems.

What is resiliency?

Protective factors that buffer the effects of risk factors.

Why should risk assessment be evaluated critically?

Tools presented as objective can be applied subjectively and reproduce unequal treatment.

Why is delinquent peer association not a complete causal explanation?

Peer influence operates alongside family, school, social conditions, and pathways over time.