Intervening in children's involvement in gangs: views of Cape Town's young people

Abstract

Gangs have a long history in Cape Town and children tend to begin involvement around age 12. Children's views on causes of children's involvement in gangs and appropriate interventions, were sought for inclusion in policy recommendations. Thirty focus group discussions were held with in- and out-of-school youth in different communities. Participants identified failing social structures as the causes of gangsterism. They recommended interventions to enable social structures to provide a wide range of opportunities for positive youth development, rather than programmes narrowly focused on gangs.