Winning the War Against Youth Gangs: A Guide for Teens, Families, and Communities. - book review

Adolescence, Winter, 2001

WIENER, Valerie.

Winning the War Against Youth Gangs: A Guide for Teens, Families, and Communities. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. 232pp. $39.95 (h).

Gangs have spread throughout the entire sector of society, and what was once viewed as an inner-city problem can now be found everywhere, including suburbia. This guide for teenagers, their families, and impacted communities addresses the youth gang issue in understandable, manageable terms. Quotes from teen themselves provide valuable insight into the problems that can cause kids to join gangs: absent parents, the need for excitement or to belong to a group, following in the footsteps of family members who are involved in gangs. These factors and others are explored (including an examination of the workings of the adolescent mind), and sound solutions are suggested to help kids resist gang membership. Four sections bring into focus the topic of youth gangs and ways to prevent kids from joining them. Part 1 describes many basic issues and needs all teens and pre-teens have in common and how these relate to gangs. Part 2 addresses how and why certain young people enter and sometimes exit gang alliances. Part 3 focuses on how several integral components of the teen's life and community can work together to resolve youths' involvement with gangs. Part 4 analyzes the critical influence of families and the teens themselves as they approach important life choices. Wieners s unique approach includes suggestions and comments from the young people themselves to try to bridge the gap between themselves and the adults in their lives.