The researchers focused not only on gang-related violence in the community but also on the effect of domestic violence on this age group. Pinderhughes plans to follow 30 of the young people for the next three years to see how their experience with violence changes over time. The project is being funded by the William T. Grant Foundation, which supports research on developmental issues that affect at-risk children and adolescents. Young people must pay attention to what they wear, for example, because certain colors are associated with particular gangs. They must also know which territory is claimed by different groups, and often say they take circuitous routes to avoid gang activity.
Many kids grapple with violence in the home as well as the community.
Indeed, school ends up being the safest place for many of them, according to Pinderhughes. It's a relatively controlled environment and they know what the rules are. Schools offer programs such as conflict resolution, which encourage young people to talk out their differences. Such programs can work well in the structured setting of school where there is an ultimate authority, but Pinderhughes cautions that this approach is not necessarily useful on the street. Pinderhughes has found a definite gender difference in how young adults talk about violence.