In Philadelphia last month, law enforcement announced the indictment of 12 teenagers for a series of violent crimes spanning two years. Calling themselves “The Senders,” the groups were charged with murder, 26 shootings, and multiple carjackings. One of the alleged shooters, now 19, is charged with nine shootings totaling 16 victims. Another was just 14 at the time of his alleged crime—a stark reminder of how gangs can entrench even the youngest members.
These alleged offenders’ ages may be shocking, but young people make up a much larger share of gangs than many realize. Survey data from the 1990s found that around 5 percent of young people were in gangs; the average age of joining a gang was 13. Gang-affiliated youth are far likelier to engage in serious crime than other at-risk youth or children with delinquent but non-gang-affiliated friends.
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Governments have launched a wide array of prevention and intervention efforts to steer kids away from gang life. These programs try to dissuade youth from joining gangs or encourage them to leave. But the initiatives have had mixed results, and the ones that do work well often have limited access to at-risk kids.
To address the root problem, policymakers must understand why kids join gangs. Specifically, they need to recognize that the biggest driver of gang membership is violent crime. Consequently, the best way to stop teenagers from joining gangs is to provide them with safer neighborhoods.
The three most common reasons former gang members cite for joining—financial gain, personal protection, and a sense of belonging—are closely tied to growing up in high-crime communities. As violent crime increases, new businesses are discouraged from opening, and existing ones hesitate to expand, limiting economic opportunities for young people. High-crime environments also weaken social bonds and heighten kids’ sense of vulnerability, making gang affiliation seem like a form of security. Additionally, residents in such neighborhoods often experience social isolation. A study of adults in Chicago found that those in high-crime areas had significantly fewer interactions with friends and perceived less social support.
All this suggests that the path to safer neighborhoods doesn’t start with keeping kids out of gangs but with creating safer neighborhoods. When communities offer lower crime, stronger social ties, and resulting economic opportunity, fewer young people feel the need to join gangs.
Policymakers and communities have several tools at their disposal to achieve this. Law enforcement can focus on suppressing gang activity, deterring further crime, and improving public safety by cleaning up high-crime neighborhoods and dedicating more resources to solving homicides and other serious cases. They can employ policing strategies like “focused deterrence” that have meaningfully reduced gang violence in cities across the country, and encourage prosecutors to use sentencing tools like “gang enhancements,” which ensure that the most dangerous criminals spend significant time in prison.
With such approaches, gang life becomes less appealing, and fewer young people feel compelled to join. This is a more effective strategy than simply urging youth to stay out of gangs while their neighborhoods remain crime-ridden and economic opportunities scarce.
Safe neighborhoods don’t happen by chance; they are the product of deliberate policy choices. For the sake of those residing in high-crime areas and the many Americans still living in fear, policymakers should prioritize public safety by curbing gang activity and restoring order to communities.
Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images
