Research and analysis

Understanding the psychology of gang violence

An exploratory study to add to the understanding of the psychological processes contributing to violence carried out by gang members.

• From: Ministry of Justice and National Offender Management Service
• Published: 24 February 2011

Documents

Understanding the psychology of gang violence: implications for designing effective violence interventions

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Details

An exploratory study that seeks to add to the understanding of the psychological processes contributing to violence carried out by prisoners identified as street-gang members.

The over-arching aim is to identify potential implications for improving existing violence reduction interventions for this group of offenders.

Specifically the research aims to provide information relating to the following questions:

• What is a gang?
• What factors motivate individuals to join a street gang?
• What factors maintain gang membership in prison and the community?
• What factors are associated with desistance from gang involvement/membership?
• How does gang membership influence an individual’s use of violence?

Published 24 February 2011