Groups or Gangs: Early Identification of Gangs and Timely Intervention

1. Groups or Gangs:Early Identification of Gangs and Timely Intervention Dr. Lo Tit Wing Director Youth Studies Net, CityU

2. Push & Pull Forces Deviancy Conformity • Deviantbehaviour • Law-abiding behaviour

4. Ordinary Youth Deviant Youth Grow out of delinquency Becoming gangsters Grow out of delinquency opportunity opportunity Juvenile Gang Criminal Gang Grow out of gangsters Go Straight Becoming criminals Remaining as criminals opportunity

5. Goals of Helping Professionals Deviancy Conformity Reduce Deviancy Expand Conformity

6. Skills of Helping Professionals Reduce Deviancy Expand Conformity • Opportunity for Actualization • Continued Encouragement • Learn from Mistakes • Reinforce Achievements • Successful Experiences & Role in Conventional World

7. Skills of Helping Professionals Reduce Deviancy • Naïve Point out risk • Ambivalence Provide direction • Group pressure Neutralize pressure • Willingness Isolate & control

8. Skills of Helping Professionals Reduce Deviancy • Requirements • Go into gang territory • Live with the gang • Understand individuals • Understand gang dynamics • Understand triad relationship

9. Common Mistake 1 Reduce Deviancy Expand Conformity   e.g. school social workers (traditional mode) Small no. of outreach workers

10. Common Mistake 2 Reduce Deviancy Expand Conformity   e.g. centre-based workers (traditional mode)

11. Common Mistake 3 Reduce Deviancy Expand Conformity • Grow out of delinquency • Radical non-intervention   e.g. some social workers, scholars

12. Common Mistake 4 Reduce Deviancy Expand Conformity   e.g. some teachers

13. Common Mistake 5 Expand Deviancy Reduce Conformity Labelling Process e.g. some teachers some centre-based workers

14. 標籤過程 （一）初步的偏差行為 （二）懲罰 （三）再度的偏差行為 （四）較嚴重的處罰和排斥 （五）更嚴重的偏差行為，並敵視處罰者 （六）正式的社會行動去懲罰他 （七）變本加厲的偏差行為，以對懲罰作出反應 （八）最後被迫接受壞孩子的形象和角色

15. Result of Labelling Deviant Youth Groups Juvenile Gangs Deviancy Conformity Deviancy Conformity

16. Common Mistake 6 Reduce Deviancy Expand Conformity Diagnosis = Labelling e.g. social workers

17. If Diagnosis = LabellingAll Social Workers = Labellers

18. Diagnosis  Labelling

19. Diagnosis-- Targeting process * identify the right subjects * tailor-make services Care & Concern Hatred Labelling-- Social interaction process * punishment & discrimination * reaction formation

20. Diagnosis Ordinary Youths Deviant Youths Juvenile Gangs Criminal Gangs Tailor-made services Draw police attention Delabel them during treatment Delabel them during treatment

21. Diagnosis Right LabelTreatment Delabel

22. Labelling = Diagnosis No Diagnosis Misconception of Integration Category 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 ?

23. TIMELY INTERVENTION • Accurate Diagnosis: Deviant Youth Groups? or Juvenile Gangs?

24. How to Identify Juvenile Gangs

25. Public Housing Estate: the Breeding Ground for Youth Gangs • Densely populated • Low-income working parents • Ineffective supervision of children’s leisure activities • Increase their risk of gang attachment

26. Triad Affiliation

27. Area Boss (Red Pole) Area Boss (Red Pole) Area Boss (Red Pole) ‘49’Members &Blue Lanterns ‘49’Members &Blue Lanterns ‘49’Members &Blue Lanterns Leader (49 Members/BlueLanterns) Leader (49 Members/BlueLanterns) Leader (49 Members/BlueLanterns) Youth/JuvenileGang Members Youth/JuvenileGang Members Youth/JuvenileGang Members The Structure of a Modern Triad Society Chairman (Cho Kun) Incense Master (Heung Chu) Treasurer (Cha So)

28. ** * * ** * ** * *** * * ** * *** ** *** * ** * ** ** * *** **** *** *** *** ** * ** *** Structure of a Triad Youth Gang Age 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 81 95 82 38 11 101 83 100 20 50 37 47 96 17 100 36 21 43 44 14 27 22 13 29 30 42 31 26 35 46 19 10 28 18 12 23 24 5 2 4 6 1 7 15 45 16 3 8 9 89 41

29. 幫團內副組與年齡的關係 22 年齡 11 16 0 16 每週「蒲」的頻率

30. 幫團內各類成員及年齡組合團 核心成員 22 支持成員 邊際成員 20 18 年齡 16 14 12 12 0 16 8 4 4 8 12 16 每週「蒲」的頻率

31. Territory Gang A’s Territory Gang B’s Territory

32. Group Norms in Youth Gangs 1. Don’t join other gangs 2. No squealing 3. Do not report anything to the police 4. Obey triad leaders 5. Help gang members in fighting

33. 6. Give financial help to gang members in times of trouble 7. Don’t be scared in committing crimes 8. No cheating on gang members 9. Do not speak ill of gang members behind their back 10. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth

34. Group Control in Youth Gangs

35. Negative Control | | Positive Control Individual Pressure Group Pressure Individual Pressure Violence Humiliation Ridicule Expulsion Ostracism Urging Togetherness Hero-worship Applause Rapport

36. Conflict ! Housing Estate A - Gang A’s Territory Housing Estate B - Gang B’s Territory G a n g f i g h t School, Shopping Mall Gang A’s member  Gang B’s member

37. Territory Triad Line Relationship Transmission of Subculture

38. Remember: • Go into gang territory • Live with the gang • Understand individuals • Understand gang dynamics • Understand triad relationship

39. Powerpoint filecan be obtained at website:www.cityu.edu.hk/prj/YSNet