A recent report from Britain’s Office of the Children’s Commissioner found an alarming number of sexual abuse cases attributed to gangs. The study identified 2,409 victims in the first year of the study. Of those, 155 were also identified as also being perpetrators. The abuse consists of both multi-person attacks and various activities as a part of gang initiation. And the problem isn’t limited to the UK.
If you are like most people, your view of gangs is a slightly updated version of West Side Story. The gangs we generally think of are generally ethnically or geographically specific and have identifying clothing. Usually there are enough gang members to make identification easy. That was more or less my view of gangs, and I have indirectly worked with gang members for the last few years. Unfortunately, that is an outdated view of gangs.
What is a gang?
Gangs in 2012 are more like terror cells. A gang can be as little as 3 people. They also aren’t hierarchical like they were 20 years ago. It’s more a matter of self association than an organization where you work your way up the ranks. Individuals may be associated to multiple gangs over time. This apparent lack of structure makes dealing with gangs all the more challenging. While people are expecting large groups of marauding youths, they don’t see the small groups and the dangers that they bring. As an example, 80% of all crime in the State of Massachusetts is gang related. Other states are starting to note similarly high rates of gang involvement.
The issue of increasing sex abuse in gangs probably is connected to the smaller more fluid structure. Most sex abuse is not about sexual preference or interest. It’s actually about power and control. What better way to exact control and authority in a way that is not obvious to the outside world.
Changing Landscape
The changing nature of gangs is just starting to be understood. The UK study is actually one of the first looks at sex abuse within the gang community. Gangs are not a new concept, but the criminal focus has been on drugs and weapons usage. It’s possible that the sexual abuse component has been around for a while, especially given the percentage of abused that become abusers. It’s a learned behavior of control, and both in and out of gangs, it is a cycle that perpetuates itself over time. Sexual abuse is a complicated subject. Much like gangs, we are just starting to get educated on sexual abuse as to what is really happening.
Let us know if we can help you dealing with your family’s sexual abuse situation. For ideas to get started please check out our book on what to do during the early days after disclosure.
