Youth gang prevention strategies: analyzing intensive support and supervision programs and wraparound approaches

The focus of this major paper will be to analyze intensive support and supervision programs (ISSP) and wraparound services as prevention and intervention approaches for youth involved in gangs. This will include reviewing literature and interpreting the results from a survey administered to five ISSP workers and five youth probation officers to better understand why youth join gangs, the needs of youth who are at-risk or involved in gangs, common challenges youth experience when exiting a gang, and the types of approaches used to assist youth leave a gang. This paper will also examine the formation, demographics, and the history of gangs, including those in British Columbia (BC), as well as provide an overview of Canadian laws and policies that have influenced the use of ISSP and wraparound services in recent years.