What Works With Gangs

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12398
• Published date: 01 November 2018
• Author: James C. Howell
• Date: 01 November 2018

POLICY ESSAY

YOUTH AT RISK FOR GANG

INVOLVEMENT

What Works With Gangs

A Breakthrough

JamesC.Howell

National Gang Center

Progress has been slow in developing antigang programs. Preventing gangs from

forming and eliminating established gangs altogether seems impossible when

they are rooted in the cracks of our society—most prevalent in large cities with

long histories of socioeconomic deprivation and racial-ethnic conflicts (Howell, 2015).

Nevertheless, past reviewers of gang programs have been fixated on finding a “magic

bullet”—that is, exclusively model or exemplary programs (Elliott and Fagan, 2017; Gravel,

Bouchard, Descormiers, Wong, and Morselli, 2013; Klein and Maxson, 2006; Wong,

Gravel, Bouchard, Descormiers, and Morselli, 2016). Each of these reviews has important

shortcomings, commonly, failure to include all relevant studies, use of inconsistent criteria

for determining program effectiveness, and the application of the “model” program or

“blueprint” criterion requiring random assignment of subjects for “effective”or “exemplary”

ratings in cases where this is unacceptable. For example, as a matter of public safety,

gangs cannot be randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Moreover, even

small benefits would be welcomed in economically disadvantaged inner cities with long

histories of gang violence, given that historically gang-ridden communities present special

challenges. As one example, Spergel’s (2007) Comprehensive Gang Program proved to be

moderately effective in the Little Village community of Chicago in which a protracted “war

on gangs” that was waged by police and embroiled community agencies clearly impeded

Spergel’s innovative programming (Vargas, 2016).

In this policy essay, I applaud the positive outcomes of a gang-adapted program,

Functional Family Therapy-Gang (FFT-G). I draw attention to this breakthroughprogram

in the context of existing state-of-the-art of gang prevention and “comprehensive” gang

intervention and suppression programs. The reality is that several programs not designated

Direct correspondence to James C. Howell, P.O. Box 5529, Pinehurst, NC 28374–8449 (e-mail: jcbbuddy@

gmail.com).

DOI:10.1111/1745-9133.12398 C2018 American Society of Criminology 991

Criminology & Public Policy rVolume 17 rIssue 4