Criminal Justice

Over the years, the number of females involved in gang activities has been increasing. Female gang involvement has mainly been contributed by poverty, searching for an identity and a place to belong for girls that do not have loving families. The way forward in solving the female involvement in gangs is by first understanding what makes them join before setting strategies to curb their involvement in gangs. The first strategy is coming up with prevention programs. Prevention programs should be designed to discourage girls from ever joining gangs. Prevention programs should employ various strategies such as community organization, creating school-based programs and early childhood involvement relationships (Howells & Griffiths, 2015). Community organization programs contribute to building family-centered community institutions that provide a sense of belonging for girls that would have been previously sought from gangs. Such programs offer a support system that gives girls strong identities.
Poverty being another major reason why girls join gangs, opportunity provision can further address the issue of gang involvement. Economic needs, especially for girls from low-income families, makes joining gangs a means for survival. Providing alternative sources of income will reduce female gang involvement. Community-based programs should also be obtaining employment for the girls as another strategy hence giving them an alternative to the gang life.

Early childhood programs can also be adopted.

Girls with behavioral and social maladjusted childhood are most likely to join a gang. Efforts to prevent these risk factors should start early. The programs should combine parent training and social skills to prevent girls from acquiring antisocial behaviors (Cromwell, 2010). The social skills acquired while their still young will stop them from joining gangs, especially during their adolescence.

The final programs that can be adopted are school-based programs. The programs should be designed so as to build self-esteem for girls and show them the consequences of engaging in criminal activities. The programs should further emphasize the importance of education in creating future career opportunities for the betterment of their lives. By adopting all this strategies and programs, female gang involvement will be reduced significantly.

References
Cromwell, P. F. (2010). In their own words: Criminals on crime : an anthology. New York: Oxford University Press.
Howells, J. & Griffiths, E. (2015). Gangs: In American communities (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.ISBN: 13-978-1483379722.