Imagine that you are creating a female-specific gang prevention program after reviewing best practices. What would be the key elements of your program, what programs would they be based on, and how would they aim to reduce gang membership among females? (Hint: Be sure to discuss risk factors of female gang membership and which risk factors your program addresses.)

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Students should indicate that the somewhat unique risk factors associated with gang involvement among females mean that there are some reasons to suggest that at least some degree of female-specific programming would be beneficial in deterring young girls and women from joining gangs. For example, students should detail the risk factors discussed in the chapter (including their definitions and examples), such as early problem behaviors (e.g., sexualized behaviors), neighborhood characteristics (disorganized neighborhoods), family environment (e.g., child abuse), negative peers (e.g., peers who are delinquent), and school problems (e.g., behavioral trouble at school). Students could then say, for example, that based on the “Safe Dates” model, a new program would use CBT (as SNAP Girls Connection) to help give females positive self-images of what relationships they wish to have moving forward with family members, peers, and romantic partners.