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Youth gangs

Youth Violence

Access federal and federally funded resources related to the prevalence and prevention of and responses to violence among youth.

Gangs

Access federal and federally-funded publications and online resources related to the prevention of and response to gang involvement and activity.

2020 National Police Week Resources

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Bureau of Justice Assistance

VALOR Initiative:  Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability

The Officer Robert Wilson III Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR) Initiative is an effort to improve the immediate and long-term safety, wellness, and resilience of law enforcement officers.  Through a multifaceted approach that includes delivering no-cost training (professional...

National Gang Center: Rescuing Youth, Restoring Communities

 

Pierce Gangs

Jakeem Everett was 11 years old when members of a Fort Pierce, Florida, gang began to ensnare him.  An A student who attended church faithfully with his mom and six siblings, he was an unlikely candidate for gang involvement.

"I got tired of being picked on," Jakeem, now 21, says.  "So I started hanging out with these kids in a gang known as the...

Gangs

There is no single definition of a gang, but there are a number of widely accepted criteria for classifying groups as gangs (Decker and Curry, 2003; Esbensen et al., 2001; Klein, 1995; Miller, 1992; Spergel, 1995). This review used the following criteria: (1) the group has three or more members, generally aged 12-24; (2) members share an identity, typically linked to a name and/or symbols...