Qualitative Research

Breaking Through the Exit Door: An Exploratory Study of Youth Gang Desistence in B.C.

 

Exit StrategiesLead Researcher: Steve Dooley

This study explores factors that explain how youth exit from their gangs. It will include extensive interviews with ex-gang members who have not had any gang involvement for a long period of time. Those who have successfully made the transition out of gang life will tell us how they managed the exit process. The study aims to produce information that will be useful to service providers who develop and implement early intervention programs for at-risk youth.

 

Community Voices

 

CommunityLead Researcher: Steve Dooley

During each year of the project, six focus groups made up of eight participants each are being conducted with community members including youth, parents, teachers, service providers and community stakeholders. To supplement the focus group data, 15 individual interviews are being conducted with youth, parents, teachers, service providers and community leaders each year.

These community reflections:

  1. give ongoing voice to community members.
  2. reveal current community beliefs.
  3. reveal opportunities for education and information sharing.
  4. suggest additional revisions to the proposed research.

 

Youth Experiences of Cultural Alienation

 

Cultural AlienationLead Researcher: Indira Prahst

AT-CURA is engaged in a qualitative research project which examines the relationship between gangs and alienation. The project explores
how the effects of alienation might make youth more vulnerable to gang recruitment and how youth may deal with feelings of dislocation and disconnectedness by joining gangs.