Youth Gangs in Canada: A Preliminary Review of Programs and Services

Abstract

The Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family (CRILF) was awarded a Crime Prevention Partnership Program grant by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada to collect and review information on youth gangs in Canada, as well as to identify programs and services aimed at addressing youth involvement in gang activity. The main objectives of this research were to: (1) Develop a multidimensional conceptual framework of youth involvement in gangs, including gangs with connections to organized crime, in the Canadian context. Factors such as the motivations to join a youth gang, recruitment tactics, organization, activities, and exit strategies are considered in the development of a typology that can be utilized to better understand youth gang involvement. (2) Identify programs and services addressing issues relevant to youth gangs in Canada, such as risk factors, recruitment processes, links with organized crime, and exit strategies. Key program components sought include the geographic location of the program, the target group, the objectives and activities of the initiative, the organization facilitating the program, and its funder. (3) Categorize the program initiatives based on their level of prevention – primary (prevention, raising awareness), secondary (intervention) or tertiary (rehabilitation, exit strategies).