Factors Influencing Rural Ruffian Gangster Activities in Rural Thailand :

1. Factors Influencing Rural Ruffian Gangster Activities in Rural Thailand : A Case Study in Social Development Thesis Committee : Dr. SoparthPongquan (Chairperson) Prof. JayantKumar Routray Dr. Kyoko Kusakabe Presented by : Pichapon Robru Regional and Rural Development Planning School of Environment, Resources and Development Asian Institute of Technology

2. Objectives of the Research Findings of Objective 3 Statement of the Problem Profile of Respondents Findings of Objective 4 Data Source and Data Collection Method 10 9 6 5 2 1 Conceptual Framework of the Research Conclusion and Recommendations Findings of Objective 1 11 7 3 Findings of Objective 2 Research Design 8 4 Contents

3. Definitions Youth Gang refers to a self-formed peer group that has more than three members and usually aged 12 -24 years old. They share an identity , often have symbols, view themselves and are recognized by other as a gang. The group has some permanence and degree of organization and sometimes involved in an elevated level of criminal activity (Howell and Egley, 2009). Rural Ruffian Gangster or RRG in this research defines as a group of rural youth who are delinquent or anti-social doers and formed themselves as a gang and involved in anti-social behaviors or actions causing impacts to individuals and local community (Suwannasri,2007).

4. 1. Statement of the Problem Gangster fights ruin local concert event (Source: Kom Chat Luek, Feb, 4, 2009) Police arrested rival gangsters in Buriram province(source: Kom Chat Luek, Mar, 18,2008) • Many rural children were raised with lack of parent supervision. • Anti-social youth formed a group of rural ruffian gang (RRG). • They perform both violent and non-violent behaviors. • RRG members involved in several serious crimes. • Members of RRG are rising as well as degree of their violent behaviors. • Serious fighting of RRG affected peace and harmony of rural community

5. 2. Objectives of the Research The general objective of the research is : To analyze influencing factors of rural ruffian gangster’s violent activities in order to provide remedies and youth development strategies for rural Thailand. The specific objectives are: • To describe structure , formation and networking of RRG; • To study motivation and behaviors of RRG; • To analyze influencing factors of participation in RRG; • To assess the impacts of the RRG on individual, family and community; and • To suggest remedies and development strategies for rural youth development.

6. 3. Conceptual Framework of the Research

7. Buriram Province Lamplaimat District Purposive Sampling Tamainchai Sub-district Noi Pattana Village (15) Mai Ampawan Village (6) All Members of Rural Ruffian Gangster (31) Snowball Sampling 4. Research Design 4.1 Type of Research Exploratory 4.2 Research Design Survey and Case Study • 4.3 Criteria for Selection : • Area with existence of active ruffian gangster. • Area with occurrence of active rural ruffian gangs at least for three years. • 4.4 Study Area : • Ban NoiPattana, village no.16 • Ban Mai Ampaw, village no.17

8. Lamplaimat District Tamainchai Sub-district Ban Mai Ampawan Ban NoiPattana Location Map

9. 5. Data Source and Data Collection Method • 5.2 Data Analysis and Technique • 5.2.1 Social Scale and Weighted Average (WAI) • A five-social-scale Likert was applied to rate the degree of influential factors on the behavior of RRG. • Assigned values were : • 5.2.2 Quantitative Analysis • Descriptive analysis is employed such as frequency, percentage, average, means, and graphic illustrations. • 5.2.3 Qualitative Analysis • Qualitative statement analysis was applied to analyze the qualitative data that gained from the interviews, and group discussion. • 5.2.4 Case Study Analysis • Case study analysis was applied to analyze the data gain from in-depth interview of rural ruffian gang members who involved in serious violent behavior. 5.1 Data Collection Source and Method Source : Secondary and Primary 5.1.1 Secondary Data Source • Local Level: Village profile, TAO youth plan and policy, annual reports of youth activities, data base of youth in the village. • Regional Level : Reports from Provincial Office of Juvenile Observation and Protection, Provincial Office of Social Development and Human Security, and Police Reports. • National Level: Annual Report from Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection, National Children and Youth Development Plan . • Others: Thesis, Textbook, Dissertations, journal articles, newspapers and online database. 5.1.2 Primary Data Source • Reconnaissance survey • Standardized Questionnaire • Key informants interview • In-depth interview • Focus group discussion • Observation

10. 6. Profile of Respondents 10

11. 7. Findings of Objective 1: To describe a formation of RRG

12. Historical Background and Establishment of Rural Ruffian Gangster (RRG))

13. Ban Noi Pattana Regular Gathering of RRG Ban Mai Ampawan

14. 8. Findings of Objective 2: To study motivation and behavior of RRG

15. Motivation of Participation • Main reasons of participation was self-motivation to enjoy free time with friends and to had some opportunity to find some new friends.

16. Behaviors of RRG

17. Relationship between Types of Behaviors and Socio-economic Characteristics

18. 9. Findings of Objective 3: To analyze factors of participation in RRG

19. Degree of Influential Factors of Participation in RRG (Weighted Average Index) High Low

20. Factors of Participation in RRG Personal Factors Low learning inspiration (71.0%) Feeling abandon (58.1%) Family Factors Lack of behavioral follow-up (77.4%) Low income family (71.0%) Factors of Participation Peer Factors Associated with RRG members (96.8%) Invited by friends (87.1%) Community Factors Easily accessible to alcohol (96.8%)

21. Relationship between Factors of Participation and Socio-economic Characteristics

22. 10.Findings of Objective 4: To assess the impacts of RRG

23. Individual Impacts of RRG Members • Anti-Social Behaviors • 1. Non-violent Behaviors • School absenting • Motorbike racing • Drinking alcohol • 2.Violent Behaviors • Destroy public property • Fighting with other gangs • Using drugs • Sexual harassment • Robbery Fighting School Absenting • Repeated class absent caused low academic performance and school dropped out. • Drinking alcohol was main cause of fighting and injury. • At risk of revenge and participate in illegal activities. • Lost chance of education and career opportunity.

24. Impacts of RRG on Family • Major concerns of RRG’ families were insecurity of their RRG’s children and financial problems. • Feeling of insecurity of parent related to RRG member who smoke, destroy public property, using drug and robbery. • Feeling ashamed of parents related to RRG members who destroy public property and robbery. • Financial problem of family related to RRG member who performed violent behavior like destroy public property , fighting, sexual harassment, and robbery.

25. Impacts of RRG on Community • The community facing violent crime, drug crime and property crime. • The anti-social behavior affected peace and security of local community. • Anti-social behaviors like group gathering, drinking, motorbike racing annoyed people in community. • Existing of RRGs caused negative impacts on local administration. • Violent activities like fighting with other RRGs affected tradition night festivals. • Active RRG discredit image of local community. • RRG created local conflicts • Opinions from Community • There was no direct authority at locality was responsible to problems of RRG. • There was no remedies to reduce violent behavior of RRG. • The police was only concern authority that dealing with violent youth. • Lack of social cohesion and unity. • Most of parents of RRG members(80.6%) suggested that development organization should provide occupational training to RRG members. • Majority of RRG members (73.1%) requested for occupation training.

26. 11. Conclusion and Recommendations

27. Conclusion • RRG has been active as a collective action of rural youth for more than ten years with clear organizational set-up. • Motivation to join in the gang was mainly from their peers and self-interest in deviant behavior. • RRG members joined in several creative (village development activities), violent and non-violent behaviors. Main violent behaviors were fighting with other gangs, drug and property crimes. • Influential factors of participation were from persuasion of peers of RRG members through group dynamics and as a result of drinking alcohol and lack of behavioral follow-up from family and local authority. • Risk factors leading to their violent behaviors were from their peers, socio-economic characteristics low income and broken family. • No effective legal control of drug and alcohol drinks in local community causing violent of them. • RRG violent behaviors had significant impacts to individual, family and local community in various aspects. • Except for police authorities , it lacks of social controlling mechanism both from central and local level for controlling and monitoring violent behaviors of RRG.

28. Recommendations • Suggest remedies to minimize RRG violent behaviors. • Enhance preventive measures of RRG at individual, family, and community level. Recommendations for Social Development of RRG Recommendations for RRG to Reduce Violent Behaviors • Strengthening law enforcement on alcohol and drug control of adolescence. • Enhancing institutional collaboration for social rehabilitation of RRG particularly among local government (TAO), MOSDHS, and local police authority. • Promoting cultural, recreational, sport and creative and development activities inside and with neighboring villages for youth to reduce local conflict. • Establishing local database for behavioral follow-up of RRG. • Providing counseling service to RRG to adapt behavior and changing attitude in living together in a community. • Creating new peers group and networking for watching and monitoring possible violent behaviors and to enhance creative and development activities. • Providing occupational development to RRG to secure their livelihood.

29. Thank You!