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Clinical interventions with gang adolescents and their families
by Curtis W. Branch

   

Book review:
Combines theory, clinical axioms, and practical ideas for working with gang youth and their
families, for clinicians, researchers, and program planners working with
gang-affiliated youth. Discusses standard psychotherapeutic and assessment procedures in terms of their specific use with gang members, with chapters on developmental aspects of gang
membership, race and ethnicity, cognitive and behavioral assessment, and family
intervention. Includes individual and family case studies.


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Chicana adolescents : Bitches, 'ho's, and schoolgirls
By Lisa C. Dietrich
 

 

Synopsis:
An examination of the cultural values of working class Chicana adolescents with an emphasis on
the social, political, and economic factors that shape these cultural values. This book addresses a gap in the literature on youth gangs and youth culture by examining the motivations and issues of gang affairs.

Book description:
An examination of the cultural values of working class Chicana adolescents with an emphasis on the social, political, and economic factors that shape these cultural values. This book addresses a gap in the literature on youth gangs and youth culture by examining the motivations and issues of gang affiliation, teen pregnancy, and academic failure from the point-of-view of teenage girls. Furthermore, the book emphasizes female participation in gangs as well as the impact that gangs have on non-participating adolescents. The author also discusses how current public policy is based on erroneous assumptions associated with the culture of poverty model.
 

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ADOLESCENTS

Winning the war against youth gangs : A guide for teens,
families, and communities
 by Valerie Wiener
 

    

Description:
 Grade 9 Up-Wiener builds her case in four sections. "Resolving Basic Needs" addresses self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-respect. The importance of choosing healthy peer groups and friends is also discussed. "The Gang Life" begins with a short history of gangs in America, talks about the different types that exist, and explains their structure. Important to this section is the listing of risk factors that cause kids to look for the protection and sense of belonging they find in a gang. The violence and illegal activities of this way of life are emphasized. "Winning the War Through Collaboration" is packed with credible solutions involving community commitment, law enforcement, schools, and the media. (Unfortunately, Wiener does not include any constructive
suggestions for funding these necessary and viable programs. The most practical information
comes in "Family and Child," which looks at the modern family and offers advice to both adults
(e.g., learn to distinguish between behavior and identity; pay attention to successes, not just to failures) and teens (recognize the need for societal rules, take responsibility for your actions). The author's inclusion of student responses to her research survey throughout the book seems unnecessary. Frequently, they are not valuable and their connection is vague (a survey is appended). Still, this volume is useful for reports and as an instruction manual for those working with young people.

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Wannabe: Gangs in Suburbs and Schools
 by Daniel J. Monti
 



 Review:
The expensive price tag of this title may limit its acquisition potential for smaller institutions; but any with a concern about gang activity in suburbs and schools will find it an important key to understanding youth gang appeal and activities. Based on
interviews with over 400 youths between the ages of ten and twenty, this provides many first-person accounts of gangs.
 

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American Youth Gangs at the Millennium
by Finn-Aage Esbensen, Larry K. Gaines, Stephen G. Tibbetts
 

Book description:
 What is a gang? What are the risk factors associated with joining a gang? What is the nature of gang violence? How involved are girls in gangs and gang violence? What are the responses to gang violence? Answers to these questions are often elusive or fluctuate based on how facts are interpreted, varying perspectives, or changing circumstances. During the last fifteen years of the twentieth century, there was a virtual explosion of attention to youth gangs and youth violence that prompted the proliferation of numerous myths and misperceptions about American youth gangs. The chapters in this book, some previously published and others solicited specifically for this volume, were written by highly regarded scholars and researchers who address the status of youth gangs in America at the turn of the twenty-first century. This cutting-edge collection does more than add to the already abundant amount of information available; it focuses on specific, salient issues to offer a clear picture and better understanding of the complex nature of youth gangs in America.

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Policing gangs and youth violence
by Scott H. Decker
 

Book description:
This title is part of The Wadsworth Professionalism in Policing Series, edited by Samuel Walker. This reader is a descriptive presentation of current practices within policing and juvenile justice (focusing on gangs) that utilize the community-policing model. By looking at specific strategies and their efficacy, the authors attempt to combat a major perceived problem with community policing; that the methodology of community policing can be subjective and nebulous, using ill-defined and misinterpreted practices. This book shows what is working for agencies across the country and how these "best practices" can be employed.