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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Cliff Akiyama, MA, Division of Family and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, Nursing Education Building, 420 Guardian Drive, Room 402, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6096, (267) 235-9426, cliffakiyama@yahoo.com

Youth gang violence, a new deadly national epidemic, has continued its upward trend as demonstrated by data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). In particular, youth gang violence in the Latino community has had a dramatic increase in the last few years, from “MS 13” to “18th Street,” these violent street gangs are not only a problem nationwide, but worldwide as well. In Los Angeles County, California alone, there are currently 625 documented Latino gangs with a gang membership of over 83,000. Demographics show a gang member age average of 15 with a range of 8-22 years. Other counties within California and nationwide in cities like Fairfax, Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania have seen increases in Latino youth gangs by as much as 15% over the last year. The author interviewed over 400 gang members out in the streets, jail, juvenile hall, and drug rehabilitation centers using a target questionnaire; concomitantly went a step further to study gangs first-hand disguised as a gang member. Moreover, the author identified eight manifestations of youth gang violence (i.e.: drugs, weaponry, killing over turf, women as status, defacing property, extortion, gambling, and the “state of mind” of having power). It is imperative that those that deal with the direct care and social well being of these individuals become educated on how to identify, interpret, and understand the complex social structure of gangs, while at the same time working to prevent violence in our homes, schools, and communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Educate the public health community on how to understand the “signs and symptoms” (tattoos, graffiti, hand signs, history and social structure) of Latino youth gang activity in order to keep themselves and those around them safe when confronted by these gang members.
• Encourage all of us in the public health community to realize that gang violence affects us all regardless of socioeconomic class, ethnicity, gender, occupation, or geographic location.

Keywords: Latinos, Youth Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered