4REAL: A Juvenile Gang Prevention Program

Abstract

Gangs are a present danger in many major cities across the United States with their illegal activities causing harm to individual members and society. Gangs are formed as a result of underlying systemic and social issues such as disparities in education and socio-economic opportunities. Young children and adolescents living in high-crime areas and those who interact with gang members are also at the highest risk of joining these groups. One method of reducing gang enrollment involves utilizing a community-based program that aims to discourage youths from joining gangs. This project rationale presents a community based program called 4REAL (Resiliency, Empowerment, Advocacy, Leadership) that aims to prevent the recruitment of youth to gangs. 4REAL consists of three essential programs: SWERV (Self-Worth Empowering Resilient Vehicles), KEYS (Knowledge Empowering Youth & Success), and RAMSES (Research and Methods Sustaining Engagement Security). The three programs work in tandem to help guide at-risk youth in navigating the challenges and factors that could lead them to join a gang. The project rationale is based on Vygotsky’s sociocultural perspective (1978) and utilizes autoethnography for its method.