Brook Kearley, Research Assistant Professor, and colleagues have a new paper published in Justice Quarterly that explores an observed contradiction in a city with a high level of group-based youth violence and some juvenile justice stakeholders who deny the presence of gangs.
Drawing on interviews and focus groups, the authors use framing theory to understand how definitions of gangs are constructed and contested. Study findings have implications for those planning youth violence interventions or research, as the terminology and framing used during the early stages of these projects can impact the investment of necessary stakeholders as well as outcomes for youth.