The Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project in Chicago

other youth.The youth work Supervisor and Project team members were also reluctant to formallymediate conflicts between gangs through gang leaders, since this usually meant recognition ofthe ability, power and legitimacy of particular gang leaders to broker or “negotiate” a peace.This process could entrench gang leadership and contribute to gang cohesion. Care had to betaken not to legitimize the gang. The view of Project staff, including youth workers, was thatgangs were illegitimate structures and the gang life was destructive and unrewarding, and youthhad to be constrained on an individual basis as soon as possible to leave it. Nevertheless, thelevel of violence was so pervasive and extreme in Little Village, that occasionally almost anymeans was sought to prevent or neutralize frequent and deadly confrontations between gangs.The interposition of police, group recreational distractions and use of conditions of “war fatigue”often lead to temporary peace or lulls in gang conflict. Project workers could not resolve all ofthe many precipitating, daily unpredictable factors contributing to battles between the two gangs(Short, Strodtbeck 1965).Nevertheless, the tasks and requirements of preventing youth from getting into gangswere more difficult and complex in terms of personal and institutional change than getting youthout of gangs or gang-violent situations. The Project was not established to address the problemof preventing younger youth from joining gangs or participating in gang activity, although youthworkers often counseled younger siblings of target youth to stay out of gangs. Sometimes oldertarget youth aided in this process. Youth workers were called on by elementary schoolprincipals and churches to talk to youth about the perils of gang life. It is doubtful that suchefforts were effective.5.22