Lonnie Jackson

About the author: Lonnie Jackson, the director of Minority Services for the Oregon Youth Authority, developed a gang prevention program while working at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility. He is the author of Gangbusters: Strategies for Prevention and Intervention.

There are many reasons why some teenagers believe that gangs are a reasonable and even attractive improvement in their lives. Problems with their families or social environment are the main factors that influence teens to join gangs. Teens who become involved in gangs frequently do not have positive role models at home and often have an unstable family life. They also tend to live in communities where crime and violence are the norm and where there is little economic opportunity. Gangs look attractive when teens see that selling drugs gives them the opportunity to support...