You can tell I’m on a “study day” today because of the amount of blog posts!

There’s a good article on the rise of teenagers in street gangs on the BBC News Magazine.

“There’s a real power in it, especially if someone has a problem and you deal with it. The camaraderie is unbelievable and is a bit like the Army. People are dependent on you and you have a role. There’s the safety, the friendship and there’s the purpose.”

A role could be keeping the gun, cutting up the drugs or even fixing the mopeds, he says.

“You’re getting affirmation from alpha males. Another man telling you that you are good or worthwhile is very, very important.”

There are obviously many factors for why people join gangs, but it’s really interesting that it’s a sense of ‘belonging’ or worth that is mentioned here. These are the same reasons why many people find Christianity (and consequently church) attractive; it helps them to feel part of something and gives them a role.
Providing people with something to belong to has been a big part of my work with The WIRE. Although we run clubs and activities, the bigger picture is about generating “community esteem”. Building community, linking people together, giving them worth… perhaps that is part of the answer to the current problems with gang culture.