What makes young people get involved with street gangs in London? A study of the perceived risk factors.

Abstract

This study examined the perceived determinants of street gang-related antisocial behavior (ASB) and crime of young people (YP) in a deprived and ethnically diverse community in London. Twenty-sixparticipants were recruited from two youth centers (one sport and one art-based program) from the borough of Tower Hamlets. Participants took part in four focus groups (FGs) organized into two youth (N = 14) and two adults (N = 12) subgroups. The FG questions explored participants' understanding of their community and social environment, their social interaction with the local YP and youth gangs. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach and key factors associated with youth gang membership, ASB, and crime were identified. Participants highlighted a series of determinants, which were centered on social predispositions and psychological factors. Associated risk factors were heavily embedded in the racial and religious tensions within the borough. Therefore, context-specific to the individual communities' risk factors should be identified before the development and implementation of intervention strategies to enhance their potential for impact.