Gang Prevention Programs And Their Effectiveness - 1408 Words

I. Overview of the topic/problem statement My topic is to discover gang prevention programs and their effectiveness. The prevention programs being discussed are the G.R.E.A.T. program and the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative (CAGI). The problem is that these prevention methods are not effective in alternatives to gang life. The alternatives could include family, protection, and these support that gangs give to their members. If these programs are not successful in offering these alternatives then the program will not be as effective. My goal was to test these programs by using a new classification of gang control strategies. This topic is important in Social Work because gang prevention can saved lives by giving the kid the tools†¦show more content†¦Before the revision of the G.R.E.A.T. program the program evaluation was not good (Esbensen, F., Peterson, D., Taylor, T., Freng, A., Osgood, D., Carson, D., Matsuda, K. ,2011). Finn-Aage Esbensen (2011), did a study on G.R.E.A.T. students versus Non-G.R.E.A.T. stud ents to monitor their attitudes and whether the behavioral goals were achieved (Esbensen, F., Peterson, D., Taylor, T., Freng, A., Osgood, D., Carson, D., Matsuda, K. ,2011). The differences the G.R.E.A.T. students showed were lower levels of victimization and risk-seeking tendencies, more prosocial peers, more negative views about gangs, and more positive views of law enforcement (Esbensen, F., Peterson, D., Taylor, T., Freng, A., Osgood, D., Carson, D., Matsuda, K. ,2011). Furthermore, there were no differences between G.R.E.A.T. and non-G.R.E.A.T. students in levels of delinquency, violence, or gang membership (Esbensen, F., Peterson, D., Taylor, T., Freng, A., Osgood, D., Carson, D., Matsuda, K. ,2011). . Importantly, the five significant differences did not emerge until 3 or 4 years after program exposure; the earlier analyses conducted just 2 years post-program revealed no differences at all between the experimental and comparison groups (Esbensen, F., Peterson, D., Tay lor, T., Freng, A., Osgood, D., Carson, D., Matsuda, K. ,2011). The significant 3- and 4-year results support lagged