Promises kept? A meta-analysis of gang membership prevention programs
| Date | 13 June 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-06-2015-0018 |
| Pages | 134-147 |
| Published date | 13 June 2016 |
| Author | Jennifer S. Wong,Jason Gravel,Martin Bouchard,Karine Descormiers,Carlo Morselli |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology |
Promises kept? A meta-analysis of gang
membership prevention programs
Jennifer S. Wong, Jason Gravel, Martin Bouchard, Karine Descormiers and Carlo Morselli
Jennifer S. Wong is based at
the School of Criminology,
Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, Canada.
Jason Gravel is based at the
Department of Criminology,
Law, and Society, University
of California, Irvine,
California, USA.
Martin Bouchard and
Karine Descormiers are both
based at the School of
Criminology, Simon Fraser
University, Burnaby, Canada.
Carlo Morselli is based at the
École de Criminologie,
Université de Montréal,
Montreal, Canada.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the effects of gang prevention programs on
gang membership.
Design/methodology/approach –The authors conducted a systematic literature review across 19
bibliographic databases and a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of these strategies.
Findings –The database search resulted in 3,850 hits. Of the 162 studies that were screened in full, six
involved a prevention program with outcomes commensurate for meta-analysis. Pooled log odds ratios
indicate a significant, positive effect of gang prevention programs at reducing gang membership; however,
sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the results are driven by the effects of a single study.
Originality/value –Despite the small sample size, the current study presents the best available evidence
regarding the effectiveness of gang membership prevention programs. There is a critical need in the field of
gang control for rigorous evaluation of prevention strategies.
Keywords Evaluation, Evidence-based practice, Prevention, Meta-analysis, Systematic review, Gangs
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Considering the consistent findings that gang members engage in more frequent and
more violent criminal offenses (e.g. Esbensen and Huizinga 1993; Thornberry et al., 2003),
it comes as no surprise that federal, state, and local governments, as well as non-profit
organizations have invested heavily in interventions aimed at containing the gang problem.
While interventions specific to gangs have been around for almost a century (see Klein, 1971;
Spergel, 1966; Thrasher, 1927), a sudden “explosion of research on gangs”(Klein, 1995, p. 52)
in the 1950s and 1960s followed by a renewed interest and collective awakening to the scope
of the gang problem in the 1980s and 1990s sparked the creation of many gang prevention
and intervention programs. Despite this lengthy history of pilot projects and replicated programs,
consensus regarding the effectiveness of gang prevention and control strategies has yet to
be attained.
Failure to integrate and conduct methodologically sound evaluation research has been a concern
for early gang programs (Curry, 2010), but recent critics have argued that not much has changed
in recent years. A lack of strong theoretical foundations for gang programs (McGloin and Decker,
2010), political pressure (Papachristos, 2011), and difficulties in identifying relevant goals and
objectives (Klein and Maxson, 2006) have been suggested as explanations for the poor quality of
gang program evaluations (Howell, 2012; Klein, 2011; Spergel, 2010). Nevertheless, a century of
gang programs has produced at least some evidence regarding their effectiveness. Despite this,
relatively few independent and systematic analyses of the available evidence have been carried
out (Fearn et al., 2006; Spergel, 2010).
Received 1 June 2015
Revised 8 August 2015
Accepted 11 August 2015
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JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH, POLICY AND PRACTICE
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VOL. 2 NO. 2 2016, pp.134-147, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-3841 DOI 10.1108/JCRPP-06-2015-0018
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