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Keeping Our Children out of Gangs

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Keeping Our Children out of Gangs KeepingKeeping OurOur ChildrenChildren OutOut ofof GangsGangs Presented by Dr. Anthony Hutchinson CC, GA, BSc, BSW, MSW, RSW, PhD The Many Faces of Childhood Well-Being: The Tween Years Jubilee Ballroom, Radisson Hotel Edmonton South 4440 Gateway Boulevard, Edmonton (9:35am to 10:05am - November 23, 2010) www.dranthonyhutchinson.com I. Background/Context of Presentation: “Our Children in the Crossfire” II. Overview of Children/Youth in Gangs III. Do Gangs Entice/Lure Children? If So, How? IV. Which Children are Most “At-Risk”? V. Gang Prevention 101: “What Can a Parent Do?” VI. Questions and Answers ObjectivesObjectives ofof PresentationPresentation www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 2 PartPart II:: OurOur ChildrenChildren…… www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 3 2008: Asia Saddleback, Hobema Shot while having lunch in her kitchen. Age 2. 2007: Ephraim Brown, Toronto Shot at a family birthday party – aged 11. 2007: Jordan Manners, Toronto Jordan Manners. Age 15. 2005: Jane Creba, Toronto Boxing Day shooting. Young girl aged 15. 1999: Brianna Davy, Toronto In a car with her father at a playground. Age 3. …… inin thethe CrossfireCrossfire www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 4 “That could have been my child”… ParentsParents’’ ResponseResponse www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 5 Rare for an innocent child or youth to be shot or killed in a gang shooting. More common: For children to get lured into a gang as early as 6, 7 or 8 years old. TheThe RealityReality www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 6 Difference Between Gangs and Other Groups Definition of a Gang/Gang Member Number of Gangs/Gang Members in Canada Who are in Gangs/ Demographics of Gang Involvement in Canada PartPart IIII:: AnAn OverviewOverview ofof Children/Children/ YouthYouth inin GangsGangs www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 7 Violence and intimidation Colors/ clothing An organized or informal group (Secret) codes and hand signals Hazing, rituals and facial expressions Competition Blood Mostly young males Weapons Lots of money Sex(uality) GroupsGroups v.s.v.s. GangsGangs www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 8 AreAre anyany ofof thesethese gangs?gangs? www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 9 HandHand signals:signals: DefinitelyDefinitely aa gang?gang? www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 10 A group of 3 or more people who are formally or informally organized to pursue some form of criminal activity: self-identify; identified by police; or, identified by research. Not applied equally: low-income neighbourhoods v.s. suburban areas (i.e., Sherwood Park or Burlington) DefinitionDefinition ofof Gang/GangGang/Gang MemberMember www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 11 A Moving Target GangGang NumbersNumbers AcrossAcross CanadaCanada www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 12 USA has 10x the population of Canada (300MM to 30MM) USA has 2x number of gang impacted areas (Canada has 2x the land mass) There 50x more gangs in USA than Canada There are 100x more gang members in USA than Canada Population Density of Gang Members is USA is 11x higher than in Canada (2.75 per 1,000 compared to 0.24 per 1,000) CanadianCanadian versusversus USUS ExperienceExperience www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 13 434 gangs across Canada with about 7,000 members in 2002 (now possibly 10,000 to 12,000 members?) 94% are male but in B.C. 12% are female, 10% in Manitoba and 9% in Saskatchewan. 48% are under age 18 39% are between 16 and 18. 9% are under age 16. 25% African-Canadian/ 21% First Nations/ 18% Caucasian Ontario: 216 gangs/ 3,320 members Saskatchewan: 28 gangs/ 1,315 members British Columbia: 102 gangs/ 1,027 members Canadian Police Survey on Youth Gangs (2002) Source: National Crime Prevention Centre(2008). Online at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/cp/bldngevd/2007-yg-1-eng.aspx www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 14 6 percent of high school students reported being a current gang member; 5 percent said they were a former gang member 82 percent of Canadian gangs members are male; 8 percent female 70 percent were born in Canada 23 percent come from two-parent families; 61 percent from single-parent families 37 percent are white, 41 percent are black, 7 percent are First Nation, 3 percent are Asian and 3 percent are South Asian 14 is the mean age for first gang involvement, 10 was the minimum age of gang members interviewed Centre for Criminology, University of Toronto Wortley, 2004). Online at: http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/tvoparents/index.cfm?page_id=483&event_id=1931 www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 15 Youth gangs are not just an urban phenomenon. They are active across the country in both large and small communities (RCMP, 2006). Crosses low-income to high income strata Crosses race and ethnicity Crosses gender Generally, ages 6 to 28 (but beyond) Cross religious and non-religious spectrums ImportantImportant PointsPoints www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 16 GangGang MembersMembers CanCan LookLook LikeLike AnyoneAnyone www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 17 As young as age 6 Playground recruitment Money, candy, sense of family/love, identity, promises, manipulation, sex, concert tickets, music, rebellion against parents, excitement, fantasy PartPart IIIIII:: DoDo GangsGangs Entice/LureEntice/Lure Children?Children? IfIf So,So, How?How? www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 18 MaslowMaslow’’ss HierarchyHierarchy ofof NeedsNeeds www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 19 EriksonErikson’’ss StagesStages ofof DevelopmentDevelopment www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 20 ALL children in our society are “at-risk” by the virtue that they are: Impressionable Need love Need acceptance Need friendship Need security Need identity Want money: “Choice”/ “Opportunity” PartPart IVIV:: WhichWhich ChildrenChildren areare MostMost ““AtAt--RiskRisk””?? www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 21 Identity Bored Barriers to sports and recreation Family problems/ family breakdown Fantasy/ romantic views of gang life Money, choice, opportunities, video games Media influences Love, acceptance, intimacy, security, sex Just because… limited cognitive processing/ maturation (brain injury?) KidsKids joinjoin gangsgangs becausebecause…… www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 22 Prevention is Better than Cure What Can a Parent Look for as Signs of Gang Involvement? Good News: “Stages of Gang Involvement” What Can a Parent Do If They Suspect a Gang is Trying to Lure Their Child or That Their Child is Involved in Gang Activity? PartPart VV:: GangGang PreventionPrevention 101101 www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 23 Communication means “COMMUNICATION” Love and affection Know your children’s friends Know where your children are and with who Talk about gangs with your children: Address myths and realities Support positive opportunities for your children: employment (resumes)/ sports and recreation/ faith involvement/ family time Everything begins at home PreventionPrevention isis BetterBetter thanthan CureCure www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 24 A = affect / depression, anxiety & paranoia B = behavior/ staying out late & evasive C = cognitive / attitude & thinking A lot of kids “wear” their emotions, “express” their behaviors, “show” their thoughts: They are still DEVELOPING – often do not hide well… NOT “covert operatives” Drugs and cash in pockets and closets Guns and weapons under the beds and pillows Explicit verbal expressions and hand signs SignsSigns ofof GangGang InvolvementInvolvement www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 25 Clothing styles and colours Language and hands signs Media choices: music, movies, TV shows Absence from homes and wake-sleep cycles “Friends” and peer choices/backgrounds Performance in school Behavior: isolation/ secrecy from family Drug use and/or paraphernalia Wads of cash in pockets Mental health status: depression/anxiety/mTBI KEY: OBSERVATION & LOVING COMMUNICATION SpecificSpecific SignsSigns www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 26 Stages of Gang Involvement “Fantasy” stage “At-Risk” Stage “Hardcore” Stage (Const. Scott Mills, Toronto Police Service) Successful intervention can occur in first two stages: 80% to 90% of all children and youth GoodGood News!News! www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 27 Resources Canada: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/cp/bldngevd/2007 -yg-1-eng.aspx Calgary: http://www.getalife.ca/ http://people.ucalgary.ca/~crilf/publications/Youth_G ang_Report.pdf Edmonton: http://www.edmontonpolice.ca/CommunityPolicing/O rganizedCrime/Gangs/CommunitiesvsGangs.aspx SupportSupport forfor ParentsParents andand Kids:Kids: 11 www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 28 Resources Vancouver: http://vancouver.ca/police/media/2010/report- gang_report.pdf Manitoba: http://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/safe/gangproof/gangh andbook2004.pdf Toronto: www.notogangs.org Nova Scotia: http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/publications/documents/G angPrevention.pdf SupportSupport forfor ParentsParents andand Kids:Kids: 22 www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 29 For more information please contact: Dr. Anthony Hutchinson CC, GA, BSc, BSW, MSW, RSW, PhD Email: [email protected] Online at: www.dranthonyhutchinson.com QuestionsQuestions andand AnswersAnswers www.dranthonyhutchinson.com 30.
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