Why do youths join and stay in gangs?

GANG activity in Trinidad and Tobago is pushing the murder toll to record highs every year.

For some, gangs determine where they go and what they wear.

Gang culture has found its way into the music the youths listen to.

Meanwhile, we all live in fear that we could be the next victim or casualty of gang activity.

This Newsday series examines the culture behind gangs and what we can do to save our youths and nation.

What draws our youths to gang life? How far does its reach extend, both behind bars and on the outside?

And what are the authorities, schools, psychologists and religious leaders doing to combat gangs and their influence on our youths?

NUMEROUS factors contribute to why people join and remain in gangs, but they go beyond social issues like poverty and disadvantaged communities.

Psychologist and educator Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor said it was important to look at gangs through a biopsychosocial model, which looked at the interconnection between biology, psychology and socio-environmental factors.

She said biological factors were often overlooked, but there were various possible neurological factors which could cause learning disabilities, leading children to do badly in school.

She said many times no one addressed their challenges or even tried to, yet they were continually advanced through the education system. Since they were not learning and saw no future or opportunities from attending school, they dropped out.

“A lot of young boys especially who fail the SEA (Secondary Entrance Assessment): why are they being allowed to go through our education system not being attended to, not being referred to a specialist? What are the issues here?

"Unfortunately they will be pushed through the system because of their age.

“Many of these young people drop out of school and get menial jobs," she pointed out, but they but they want things they cannot afford on the pay from a menial job.

"They may join gangs or get into criminal behaviour.

“A lot of research has looked at the fact there is a strong link between children ages 12 and 13 dropping out of school and going from school into the prison system because of the lack of opportunities in society to address what is happening.”

Nakhid-Chatoor said in some homes, education was not important, so it was difficult to make it a priority for the child. The cycle could be stopped by testing children with difficulties in the school system, understanding what drove them and giving them a reason to live.

Beyond the biological, psychological factors included a sense of connection, belonging, community and identity, especially for those who felt isolated or disconnected from their families .

There was also the excitement of risk-taking behaviour.

“The thrill of engaging in this behaviour, having a sort of bad-boy image, attracts some young people to gangs. This is all during the developmental stages of young people, when those things appeal to them.”

Social factors included the desire for protection, believing being part of a gang would shield them from crime and violence, family, economic incentives and peers.

“Peer pressure, the influence of friends and peers, is a strong motivator to join a gang. So if their social circle on the liming block includes gang members, they feel pressured to fit it.”

In the case of family, if another family member was already involved in gangs, the younger person may want to model themselves after that person, making joining an easily acceptable option.

“And the gang may offer financial benefits through their illegal activities. For persons coming from disadvantaged homes, it could be very hard to see their siblings starving and mother worried, so they join.”

Counselling psychologist and behaviour specialist Kezia Guy listed several other contributing factors, including escape from a difficult home or school life.

“This is a big one that I see a lot here in Trinidad and Tobago. A child may be struggling academically or socially at school, and due to these issues, may find the gang enticing and rewarding than the life of being in school.

“Also at home or in the community, they may experience neglect, abuse or witness violence – emotional, physical, mental, or psychological abuse – as it relates to the parent/child relationship. That has a big part to play in our children getting into the gangs because they may want to escape or get away from that space and the gangs seem to be the best option.”

Guy said neglect by one or both parents, not having love and emotional support from a primary caregiver who was unwilling or unable to meet their children's emotional needs, as well as a lack of a positive role model, were also factors.

And witnessing violence, especially in the home, could lead to children struggling with loss of drive to participate in school and activities, low grades, acting out in negative ways and engaging in risky behaviours. It could also lead to low self-esteem, which fed into the perceived sense of status, power and belonging gangs gave them.

Long-term effects included mental health issues, them repeating abusive behaviours they saw or experienced, a lowered sense of self-worth, and using alcohol and other drugs.

She added that gang membership could give members a feeling of power, status, protection and control – a feeling that their people had their back so no one could do anything to them. That perceived power and status, with other gang members giving them money or the opportunity to make money, and having a kind of freedom, were a big motivating factor to being in a gang.

“Imagine having power, protection and control as a 16- or 17-year-old. How are you going to feel? Like Superman! It’s a type of high.”

Effect of prison

Guy, who worked part-time as a psychologist for UNICEF, also worked in the St George East District with the Ministry of Education in secondary and primary schools, and served on the District Leadership Team and the Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings for the district.

She also worked in the prison system during a year-long internship at the Youth Transformation and Rehabilitation Centre (YTRC), the maximum security prison (MSP) and the women's prison, doing individual and group therapy.

“In my work in Ministry of Education, I see the starting point of it. In my work, in the forensic setting within YTRC and MSP, I saw the after-effects of what you would have seen in school. It’s really sad, because it's a combination of factors.

“For the past three years I’ve been in the district, in most of the violence and discipline cases, parents are not motivated to work with the professionals.

"Not because they don't want to be motivated, but because they have various factors that have overwhelmed them. Whether it may be trauma from their childhood, financial issues or current issues that they may be experiencing, it causes them not to have the capacity to fully carry their child through the process of therapy or even change of behaviour. Because for a child's behaviour to change, a parent has to change the way they deal with their child.”

She said from her experience, after being incarcerated, most were remorseful, as they did not like being in prison or separated from the people they loved. Some exhibited aggressive behaviour, impatience, brashness and limited empathy.

And some went back to a life of crime, while others did not.

She saw that youths with a higher recidivism rate were put back into the environment from which they came. Some returned to find they had been put out of their homes and had no one but the gangs to turn to.

Either way, the gang members encouraged them to return.

“From what I have seen, it’s different for each situation. I always say it’s the environment we put them back into (that) is the main factor. I hope that support is something we could advocate for.”

But the gang activity of youths did not only affect the children themselves.

Guy said family members were often worried and did not agree with the child’s decision to be in a gang. Other times they said nothing to the child because they benefited financially. And the same could be said for the neighbourhood, where some members lived in fear, while others were glad.

“Certain neighbourhoods reap the benefits of gang members, because where the government fails, they pick up the slack by paying for schoolbooks or shoes or tuition fees to children.

“These are things that are supplied by gang leaders in certain communities. They see a need and give what is needed in the community, which makes it very hard to infiltrate that community and make a change in the process of gangs being formed.”

Nakhid-Chatoor agreed, adding that the family members who welcomed the financial contributions from the gang’s illegal activities either supported the gang member or turned a blind eye.

For those who did not, it sometimes caused strained relationships with trust issues, conflicts and communication breakdowns. There was the added emotional stress of fear, anxiety, and sadness, which could lead to mental health issues, especially for mothers.

What's the answer?

Guy believed the problem could be addressed by starting with the parents or guardians in areas with high crime rates.

She believed the government should find resources to get the parents therapy if needed, provide parenting skills training for those not as involved with their children’s lives as they were supposed to be, make the intervention mandatory and give parents time off for the training.

Nakhid-Chatoor believed early intervention was needed. She said attentive teachers could realise something was wrong with a child from the primary school level, so teachers and principals who cared and wanted the lives of their students to improve were necessary.

In addition, she said people in depressed communities likely would not go out to access government services. So the government, businesses, organisations and individuals should go into the communities to offer services like mentorship programmes and therapy sessions, to let those people know someone cared.

She said prison should not only be a place of incarceration, but also one of rehabilitation, especially for youths. They should be educated, helped to develop a sense of purpose, and offered life skills and a supportive environment.

She said when they came out of prison, they may have to face discrimination, and the stigma against former gang members or former inmates made it difficult for them to reintegrate into society. Such treatment could push people back into the gangs, where they felt accepted and valued and where things were familiar.

“What are the systems in place to support young people who have been incarcerated and who have now been released? What are the community programmes being developed to help them transition back into society?

"One of the main reasons for the rate of recidivism is lack of or inadequacies of such programmes.”

She said there needed to be communities for former gang members where they could have a safe learning environment, mentorship programmes with positive role models and proper guidance to navigate their challenges.

“People want a quick fix. They keep pumping money into fighting crime without looking at the root causes, without looking at the symptoms. And the root causes come when young people do not think they have options other than to join a gang. You have to present them alternatives, other ways of looking at their lives and to re-imagine their situation.

“That is why, I think, education is so important. Sometimes parents don’t have that kind of vision for their children. They are living paycheque to paycheque. Some of them are illiterate. It has to be the schools to offer a light at the end of the tunnel.”