Preventing Gang Activity in Schools Online
Course Outline
Course Description
Gangs can be found in all cities with populations of 100,000 or more. Gangs are found within practically every major urban high school in the country (Camp and Camp, 1985; Curry and Decker, 1998: 125-132; Klein, 1995: 168-170; Spergel, 1995: 116-127). Exactly how many gangs and how many members there are in the country is presently not known with any degree of certainty. The most recent estimate is that there are more than 30,000 gangs and over 800,000 gang members (U.S. Department of Justice).So much of what teachers and administrators think about gangs is embedded in popular myth and inconsistent with factual knowledge about the reality of gangs. The need for accurate analysis of the realities of various aspects of gangs is important for all educators to know. In most instances when gang problems arise in schools, educators have a tendency to respond with a uniform code of conduct, i.e. expulsion, suspension, detention. These tactics are implemented in hopes of inhibiting the future display of gang activity (Grant and Van Acker, 2000). This kind of reaction has proven to actually exacerbate the alienation of student involvement in gang activity.
This course begins with an orientation of three classes of theories explaining gang formation: strain, control, and sub-culture. Strain theory suggests that the difference between economic opportunity and individual aspirations is the root cause of gang formation. The strain, according to Merton (1938), is the "position of desiring a goal that they cannot reach through conventional means" (page 673). Control theory consists of two basic forms: individual or personal control and social control. Reckless (1967) "containment perspective" suggests that "pulls" to delinquency exist which the individual must control (pulls consist of unemployment, deviant friends, and frustration, among others). Control theory suggests students engage in gang activity because they have weak social bonds with family, school, neighborhood or other social structures (Hirschi, 1969). Sub-cultural theory supports the idea that gang involvement is simply an extension of the lower-class culture. Sutherland and Cressey advocated that delinquent behavior is learned and involves the same processes as other social behavior (1970).
Strain, control, and sub-culture are joined by many explanations of what might be labeled gang formation theories. Most researchers do not recognize one overriding theoretical explanation of gang formation. In this course we bring together several theories along with several longitudinal studies (Rochester Youth Development Study and Seattle Social Development Project) to compose a strategy educators may use to prevent gang formation, curb gang activity in the school, and to confront gang expansion. The strategy includes three techniques: preventing prior entry, co-opting gang activity, and competing with gang activity.
Objectives
- Create a definition of gangs
- Assess the importance of early intervention
- Analyze theoretical explanations of gangs
- Discuss the influence of multi-risk factors and gang membership
- Predict cause and effect of gang membership
- Analyze the gang subculture
- Determine how gang membership facilities delinquent behavior
- Classify the criminal activity of gangs
- Correlate the relationship between gangs, guns, and crime
- Compare and contrast perceptions on gang membership
- Evaluate influences that precipitate gang formation
- Determine how a school can create an environment that discourages gang formation
- Identify trends in female gang membership
- Analyze the social context of the lives of girls who join an independent gang, are coed in a male gang, or as a female auxiliaries to a male gang
- Outline a gang intervention strategy for classroom use
- Predict the future of gang activity
Curriculum Design & Time Requirements
There are a series of major concepts systematically presented by the instructor using the Socratic Method. Each concept acts as a building block to form a strategy teachers can use in the classroom and their school to prevent and control gang activity. Preventing Gang Activity is a 13 week 3 credit graduate level or sixty hour professional development course taught online. Modules 1 through 9 will be completed one per week. Module 10 will be completed over a two-week period so students will have time to revise and complete the final integration project.Hardware & Computer Skills Requirements
Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have internet access with an active e-mail account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox etc.Course Materials
Each student is provided a copy of the course text, Youth Gangs in American Society, Second Edition by Randell G. Sheldon, Sharon K. Tracy, and William Brown. The textbook and student guide will be provided for all students. Each session contains required readings, specific activities, and written reflections on the session content.Session Outline
Session 1: What is a Gang?Contents:
- Introduction
- Session Objectives
- Ice-Breaker
- Objectives that can be added
- Complete class registration
- What is a gang?
- Gang crime
- Stereotyping
- Policy and reality
- Assignments
Session 2: Theoretical Explanation of Gangs
Contents:
- Dyads: Sharing
- PresentationTheory
- StrainTheory
- ControlTheory
- Sub-culture(s)
- Class Theory
- Assignments
Session 3: The Antecedents of Gang Membership
Contents:
- Dyad: Sharing Experience
- Presentation: Present Objectives
- Risk Factor Approach
- Cumulative Risk
- Origins of Gang Membership
- Synthesis
- School Applications
- Assignments
Session 4: Co-Opt Gang Pull
Contents:
- Dyad: Sharing Experience
- Presentation: Present Objectives
- Risk Factor Approach
- Cumulative Risk
- Origins of Gang Membership
- Synthesis
- School Applications
- Assignments
Session 5:
Contents:
- Dyad: Sharing Experience
- Presentation: Present Objectives
- Risk Factor Approach
- Cumulative Risk
- Origins of Gang Membership
- Synthesis
- School Applications
- Assignments
Session 6:
Contents:
- Dyad: Sharing Experience
- Presentation: Present Objectives
- Risk Factor Approach
- Cumulative Risk
- Origins of Gang Membership
- Synthesis
- School Applications
- Assignments
Session 7:
Contents:
- Dyad: Sharing Experience
- Presentation: Present Objectives
- Risk Factor Approach
- Cumulative Risk
- Origins of Gang Membership
- Synthesis
- School Applications
- Assignments
Session 8:
Contents:
- Dyad: Sharing Experience
- Presentation: Present Objectives
- Risk Factor Approach
- Cumulative Risk
- Origins of Gang Membership
- Synthesis
- School Applications
- Assignments
Session 9:
Contents:
- Dyad: Sharing Experience
- Presentation: Present Objectives
- Risk Factor Approach
- Cumulative Risk
- Origins of Gang Membership
- Synthesis
- School Applications
- Assignments
Session 10:
Contents:
- Dyad: Sharing Experience
- Presentation: Present Objectives
- Risk Factor Approach
- Cumulative Risk
- Origins of Gang Membership
- Synthesis
- School Applications
- Assignments
Grading
| Assignment | Points | Grading Scale | |||||||
| Forum Participation | 15 | 100 – 93 | A | ||||||
| Reading & Reviews | 45 | 92 – 85 | B | ||||||
| Final Plan of Action | 40 | 84 – 77 | C | ||||||
| Total Points | 100 |
Student Requirements
| 1. | Participation: Actively participate in all Forum activities. | |
| 2. | Reading Assignments:Complete all readings and reflection assignments. | |
| 3. | Participants will assess the status of gangs in their schools and community. Participants will complete a Final Action Plan to prevent and control gang activity in their school. |
