Welcome to the Research Centre on Gangs Serious Youth Violence
Serious Youth Violence, Gangs, Sexual Exploitation and dealing with Challenging Behaviour are complex issues.
It is little wonder then, that navigating the academic research with regards to these fields can become very daunting.
I have complied some reading to help get you started and look forward to posting some videos really soon with some key tips that hopefully will help break down these formidable chunks of reading into bite-size understandable pieces.
I have divided the fields into their subject matter and included hyper links so you can get your hands on these reads easily.
Enjoy and don't forget to let me have your feedback!
It is little wonder then, that navigating the academic research with regards to these fields can become very daunting.
I have complied some reading to help get you started and look forward to posting some videos really soon with some key tips that hopefully will help break down these formidable chunks of reading into bite-size understandable pieces.
I have divided the fields into their subject matter and included hyper links so you can get your hands on these reads easily.
Enjoy and don't forget to let me have your feedback!
Beyond The Blade - Website Link
The Guardian newspaper is running a regularly updated piece on knife crime covering every death this year. There is no publicly available national data on children and teenagers killed by knives in Britain. So this year (for now at least) they are compiling it. Covering each victim's death and, where possible, their lives, Gary Younge and Damien Gayle aptly explore the themes behind knife crime in Britain. Well worth a view as it is better compiled than many of the other sites out there.
Books
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Dr. Simon Harding is the author of The Street Casino: Survival in violent street gangs. Gang violence is on the increase in certain neighbourhoods and there is an urgent need for a fresh perspective that offers insight into gang structure, organisation and offending behaviour to explain this increase. Using the findings from an extensive study of local residents, professionals and gang members in south London, Simon Harding proposes a unique theoretical perspective on survival in violent street gangs. He applies Bourdieu’s principles of social field analysis and habitus to gangs, establishing them as a social arena of competition where actors struggle for distinction and survival, striving to become ‘players in the game’ in the ‘casino of life’. Success is therefore determined by accruing and retaining playing chips – street capital. Harding’s perspective depict gang life as one of constant flux, where players jostle for position, reputation, status and distinction. This perspective offers new evidence to the field that will help academics, students, practitioners and policy makers to understand the dynamics of gang behaviour and the associated risks of violence and offending.
Why it is worth a read: If you have no understanding of gangs then this book is a great starting point for explaining in a metaphorical way why they exist, how they become involved and the differing roles people play. Find out more about Dr. Simon Harding here. Available to buy from Amazon |
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This book provides an account of the emergence, nature and impact of armed youth gangs in an East London Borough over the last decade. It describes the challenges these armed young men and women pose to their communities, those charged with preventing crime and those struggling to vouchsafe 'community safety'. While the focus of the book is 'local', the processes it outlines and the effects it chronicles have both a national and international relevance. It argues that the main reason behind the emergence of the armed youth gang has been the coalesence of two previously discreet socially deviant groups; the rowdy, episodically criminal, adolescent peer group on the one hand and the locally-based organized criminal network on the other. The book analyses the impact of the globalisation of the drugs trade and the consequent shift in the focus of local organized crime from the 'blag' to the 'business'. It also discusses how socio-economic and cultural factors, as well as family and neighbourhood histories and loyalties and localized racial antagonisms all play their part in the emergence of the armed youth gang.
Why it is worth a read: This seminal book might be starting to show its age but its insights still remain relevant; to this day we still talk about the difference between gangs and organised criminal networks. Professor John Pitts is perhaps a master at setting the stage and because it was the first in-depth piece of research at the time this book is crucial for those looking to understand gangs Available to buy from Amazon |
Unleashed: The Phenomena of Status Dogs and Weapon Dogs
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amzn.to/3suht7EAnother book by the amazing Dr Harding and claims to set on record the cultural phenomenon of the use of certain dog breeds - both legal and illegal - to 'convey status' upon their owners. Such dogs are easily visible on social housing estates throughout the UK and in projects in the USA and provide acquired authority, respect, power and control. However they are increasingly linked to urban street gangs as 'Weapon Dogs' and present a danger to the ordinary public especially those using parks and open spaces with increased injuries being presented at UK hospitals.
Why it is worth a read: In my opinion Dr Simon Harding always talks and writes in a fresh, engaging and accessible style. Personally, I see the use of status dogs within gangs as a declining trend. However, this unique book contextualizes the phenomenon in terms of sociology, criminology and public policy. It also considers the reasons why they arose; a complex mix of urban and social deprivation, social control of public space and the influence of contemporary media imagery and 'gansta' culture. Find out more about Dr. Simon Harding here. Available to buy from Amazon |
I count myself really fortunate to have met Robyn Travis the author of the astounding Prisoner to the Streets book. This is the real story of the infamous postcode wars written by the boy turned man who was there when it started. Robyn grew up right on the borders when it kicked off in Hackney, E8. For the first time ever he tells his story and his part in it - the fights, the stabbings, the shootings.
Why it is worth a read: In my opinion far too many people like talk about the postcode wars but the story can only be told fully by someone who was there. This is what Robyn Travis does well. Its far less academic, but tells more of a tale than any statistics could ever write.
Available to buy from Amazon
Why it is worth a read: In my opinion far too many people like talk about the postcode wars but the story can only be told fully by someone who was there. This is what Robyn Travis does well. Its far less academic, but tells more of a tale than any statistics could ever write.
Available to buy from Amazon
Research Papers
Gang-involved young people: custody and beyond: research report by Beyond Youth Custody.
Professor John Pitts along with other top academics from Bedfordshire University are behind this report which draws inferences from both the literature and key 'informants' working in the field to explore desistance from gang crime, the rehabilitation of gang-involved young people and, in particular, how their period of incarceration and return from custody might best be managed.
Why it is worth a read: In my opinion this report was easy to read and had some strong insights which many policy makers and those organisations looking to create desistance should take notice of. The problems they cite are well known amongst many front-line practitioners, the issue is (at time of writing) that too little has changed in light of their recommendations
Available for free here
Professor John Pitts along with other top academics from Bedfordshire University are behind this report which draws inferences from both the literature and key 'informants' working in the field to explore desistance from gang crime, the rehabilitation of gang-involved young people and, in particular, how their period of incarceration and return from custody might best be managed.
Why it is worth a read: In my opinion this report was easy to read and had some strong insights which many policy makers and those organisations looking to create desistance should take notice of. The problems they cite are well known amongst many front-line practitioners, the issue is (at time of writing) that too little has changed in light of their recommendations
Available for free here
Running the Risks: The links between gang-involvement and young people going missing. This is a report by the Catch-22 Dawes Unit in partnership with Missing People in July 2015. It highlights the link between gang involvement and young people who go missing. It is one of the few reports that talk about drugs / county lines, gangs and sexual exploitation. on top of that it is a crunchy read.
The 55-page report, Trapped in the Matrix, raises serious concerns about how individuals come to be placed on the database, how the information is shared with other agencies such as housing associations and schools, and the adverse effect being listed on the Matrix can have for the young black males who are disproportionately impacted. The researchers spoke to more than 30 professionals who use the Gangs Matrix, including the police and other organisations, as well as community members and young people affected by the Matrix.
Click here to download the report
Click here to download the report