Exploring factors that gravitate youth towards gang involvement in the Paarl East community
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Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
Youth gang involvement has been noted as a concern in the Paarl East community.
This study was based on an identified need to inform social work services aimed at
prevention from or early intervention in youth involvement in gangs on the causal
factors thereof. The study was framed within the Ecological Systems Theory to identify
causal factors within each system in youths’ lives. It was envisaged that, by addressing
these causes, youth can be empowered and supported to make alternative life
choices.
The aim of this study was to explore and describe the contributing factors for youth
gang involvement in the Paarl East community in order to make recommendations for
preventative and early intervention social work practice. A qualitative approach was
followed, and the explorative and contextual research designs supported the choices
of research methods in this study. The purposive sampling technique was used to
draw a sample from the population of youth living the Paarl East community. Data was
collected through individual semi-structured interviews with eight participants. Criteria
of credibility, dependability, transferability, conformability, and reflexivity were used to
ensure data verification. Ethics in this study entailed the limitation of harm to
participants and debriefing, informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, privacy, and
data management.
Description
Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW)
Keywords
Community, Ecological systems theory, Gangs, Gangsterism