What’s in a Name? The Framing of Gang Interventions in a City with No “Gangs.”

Abstract

This study examines an observed contradiction in a city with a high level of group-based youth violence and some juvenile justice stakeholders who deny the presence of gangs. Drawing on interviews and focus groups, we use framing theory to understand how definitions of gangs are constructed and contested. We attend to the language and rhetorical strategies used by stakeholders and find two distinct frames at work which we call “community health” and “community safety.” Our findings have implications for those planning youth violence interventions or research, as the terminology and framing used during the early stages of these projects can impact the investment of necessary stakeholders as well as outcomes for youth.

Keywords:

• Gangs
• qualitative research
• group-based youth violence
• community health
• community safety

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that they have no relevant or material financial or non-financial interests that have arisen from the direction application of the research described in this paper.

Notes

1 It is important to acknowledge that not all “old heads” offer positive messages to youth at risk of gang membership. Youth violence interventions may be hampered by the importation of cultural codes found in prisons and which, like the “code of the street,” are supportive of violence. As more than 600,000 adults are returned to their communities from jails and prisons each year, intergenerational socialization may expose youth to norms that make it difficult to desist from membership in criminal groups (Huebner & Garrity, 2016; Mitchell et al., 2021).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the National Institute of Justice under award number 2018-75-CX-0027.