The Adverse Childhood Experience Study (ACE)

This week’s guest speaker was Susan L. Hess. She is a senior guest lecturer at the USC School of Social Work. Her primary areas of expertise include intimate partner violence and trauma-informed care. Professor Hess is promoting research and clinical approaches to trauma-informed practices. She is currently furthering her efforts by launching a Trauma-Informed Care Task Force across all systems of care in Los Angeles. Professor Hess’s presentation was about the largest public health study that no one has heard of. The public health study is on the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE).

Professor Hess began by asking the class if anyone has heard of the ACE study. Surely enough, no one in the class had heard of it. She opened up her presentation by asking the question, “What is trauma?” According to Judith Herman, trauma is experiencing intense fear, helplessness, loss of control, and threat of annihilation. A few examples of traumatic experiences include: domestic violence, emotional abuse, war, immigration, racism, educational neglect, incarceration, mental illness, and child maltreatment. There can also be complex trauma, which describes the experience of multiple, chronic, and prolonged developmentally adverse traumas. Some responses include: dissociation, hyperarousal, intrusion, constriction and avoidance, and somatic complaints.    

The ACE study is a survey of ten questions with categories of: abuse (emotional, physical, sexual), neglect, and household dysfunction (mother treated violently, household substance abuse, household mental illness, parental separation/divorce, and incarcerated household member(s)). The amount of questions you answer “yes” to gives you an ACE score (one point for each category). The higher the score, the greater the exposure, and therefore the greater the risk of negative consequences. The ACE score then shows a strong, graded relationship between adverse childhood experiences and subsequent health-related behaviors and outcomes. Professor Hess then poses the question, “How could services be different if this was implemented in systems?” There would be a lot more prediction, prevention, and intervention at an earlier age. Trauma is an important study because people with childhood histories of trauma, abuse, and neglect make up almost the entire criminal justice population in the United States!    

If you would like to see the consequences of lifetime exposure to violence and abuse you can go to coleva.net. If you would like to know your ACE score you can go to http://acestudy.org/ace_score and help spread the word about the largest public health study on the Adverse Childhood Experience.

The Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC)

Last week’s field site visit was at the ARC Bromont Supportive Housing program in Sylmar, which is a branch of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) location in Los Angeles. ARC began as a support network to change the lives of formerly incarcerated men and women by providing an advocacy network. In order to accomplish this mission, ARC provides support through mentoring, case management, internship, employment opportunities, regular support network meetings, social outings to currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, and advocates for fair policies in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The ARC location in Los Angeles provides membership into the organization where over 160 formerly incarcerated individuals are able to use ARC’s resources. Becoming an ARC member commits them to live crime-free, gang-free, drug-free, in school or working, and providing service to their community. Scott Budnick, the founder and president of ARC goes to juvenile halls and prisons where he speaks to and informs the incarcerated members about ARC. Those who are in connection to him are the ones that become ARC members, eventually they are able to apply for housing and get interviewed.  

I purposely decided to not look up any information about the site prior to my visit. Having no information about the organization or the housing program, I was confused as to why the location I was assigned to go to looked like an apartment complex and not an office. However, once we entered the complex, into the office, I understood that this was a housing program. I had never heard about a supportive housing program. During my experience here, I heard from the program manager, the life skills coaches, the trauma therapist, and some of the housing members. Housing is provided for 24 members, and it is a very selective process because they want to have a positive environment where everyone is willing to change. What is different about this supportive housing program and other transitional facilities is that Bromont focuses on independent living. Transitional facilities are very scheduled and sometimes are not allowed to have visitors whereas Bromont requires their members to have a schedule that will lead to self-sufficiency, are allowed to have visitors, are provided with parking, and gym passes. Since the members must attend school or work, they are expected to pay rent, which is usually 30% of their income or 30% of their financial aid.   

The Bromont Housing program has a partnership with the Los Angeles Mission College. The members are encouraged to go to school whether it is part-time or full-time, and they also offer tutoring programs. What striked me the most about this field site visit was hearing from the Bromont members themselves. One of the members has taken a very proactive role within ARC and works with youth in juvenile halls and prisons to help change their mindsets. Now, he is very proud of being seen as an example of positive change. Another member explained that ARC has helped him become part of society again, and he has learned many life skills that he did not know before such as job readiness, cooking, and building credit.

I was able to take a look at the housing units. They consisted of 2 beds, 2 baths, or 3 beds and 2 baths. The apartments were very spacious with a large living room and kitchen, and a balcony. It was very touching to see how emotional the members got when they would say that sometimes their cells were as big as their walking closets. The Supportive Housing program is a two year contract where members learn all the necessary skills to be well equipped upon departure. ARC is currently working on opening a new Supportive Housing program in Pasadena. Scott Budnick and ARC staff want to expand this program to help stop the flow of men and women into the criminal justice system.

"Sin Nombre"

When I was younger, I grew up around gang activity and violence. I knew what it was like to be afraid to walk outside when the sun was going down. I knew what time the gang members would gather by the alley next to the park. I also knew that all the graffiti and tagging on the walls were to mark the gangs territory. Although I knew who the gang members of my neighborhood were, I never quite understood why they would join gangs in the first place.

“Sin Nombre,” which translates into “without a name,” is a powerful movie that allowed me to understand several aspects about gang life and activity that were never explained to me before. The movie not only gives insight on the lives of one of the largest international criminal gangs in the world, Mara Salvatrucha (MS 13), but it allows us to understand the anatomy, culture, and context of gangs. “Sin Nombre,” also exhibits the lives of immigrants boarding an American-bound train and how a Honduran teenager named Sayra, is seeking a better life, along with her long-estranged father. The father and daughter decide to immigrate to Mexico and then enter the United States. During this journey, Sayra’s life collides with gang members from MS 13. I do not want to give too much away about the movie because I really recommend for everyone to watch it, but the series of events that occur throughout the movie are eye opening and really evoke feelings of sadness and violent disturbances.  

In addition, “Sin Nombre,” portrays social concerns and risk factors. Some of the social concerns in the movie are the increase of violence, young children being exposed to weapons and gang activity, immigration, and poverty. Some risk factors that may contribute to youth joining gangs are: having family members who have been part of a gang, single-parent households where the parent does not give enough time/attention thus providing a sense of belonging, attractiveness of the gang as to gain prestige or status among friends, an easy way out by selling drugs and making money, low expectations in school by parents, teachers, and other students, and youth who may already be delinquents.  

In lecture, the class worked on a maps activity where we first drew what our neighborhoods and lives were like at the age of five, and then we drew what our neighborhoods and lives are like now. The class explored that as students we have experienced positive changes in our lives and upward mobility. Whereas gang members may still be in the mindset of the first picture we drew of when we were children. If you think back, when you were younger you only trusted a few people, you did not have too much knowledge on the dangers of society, and may have also been afraid to try new things. Gang members only have a few people they can trust and may not be open to new ideas because it is what they have been used to all their lives. After watching the movie, you will understand why this class activity is relevant in understanding why gangs exist.

Homeboy Industries

This week’s guest speaker was a former gang member who has moved his way up to Associate Executive Director in Homeboy Industries. Homeboy Industries, is an organization that embraces former gang members by providing hope, training, and support. Each year, over 10,000 former gang members in Los Angeles go to Homeboy Industries in an effort to make a positive change. Full-time employment is offered for more than 200 men and women at a time through an 18-month program. This position allows former gang members to rethink who they are and what they want to do with their new lives. There are also a variety of programs and services available in Homeboy Industries: education, employment, case management, legal services, mental health, substance abuse support, tattoo removal, domestic violence, and solar panel training program. These programs and services allow men and women to redirect their lives by becoming contributing members of our community.

Founder and Executive director, Father Gregory Boyle, was born and raised in Los Angeles. He knows what it is like to grow up in a city where gangs are increasing. Fr. Greg wanted to develop an environment that provides training, work experience, and the opportunity for rival gang members to work together. So, Homeboy Industries arose in an effort to address the escalating problems and needs of gang-involved youth.

An example of Fr. Greg’s amazing work is seen in this week’s guest speaker. The guest speaker told us his life story about where he grew up, what led him to be involved with gangs, years in prison, and what made him seek a new life. He explained that often times, youth choose the gang lifestyle because they grow up around it. He grew up in the projects, where he was exposed to drugs, violence, and a lack of love from his family. In addition to growing up around gangs, there is family involvement in gangs, which leads to descendants also being in a gang as a legacy. Firstly, he did not have an authoritative figure in his life to tell him not to hang out with the wrong crowd. Secondly, he was constantly exposed to chaos. But, it’s not as simple as being told who to hang out with or not because that is the environment he was raised in 24/7. He went to juvenile hall and prison due to illegal work, and he came back out still doing what got him into prison and spending lots of money on alcohol, women, and parties. Eventually, almost overnight, he lost everything and was sleeping on his brother’s couch, unemployed, and having no sense of direction. After going through so much in his life, he sought help with Fr. Greg. What worked for him is that Fr. Greg did not try to push Catholicism on him and he certainly did not lecture him on what he had done was wrong. Fr. Greg simply listened to him, understood him, gave him options, and it was up to him to choose what would be best for him.

The guest speaker enlightened me on the series of events that occur in a gang member’s life. I really enjoyed listening to his story because it allows me to understand why gangs are increasing and why youth sometimes have no way out but to join a gang. It made me think of the power of love and how gang members need to want out of this lifestyle in order to make a change. Fr. Greg knows that former gang members and those who have been incarcerated have very limited options when searching for a job or a welcoming establishment. However, Homeboy Industries receives and welcomes them with open arms, allowing them to start over.    

P.C.I.T.I.

Los Angeles, a city I call home and known for its many attractions, but not much light is shed on its darkness. Its darkness of increasing youth gangs and violence. This raises the question: what is being done to address the gang “epidemic?” For this week’s field site visit, I went to the historic Stentorian Center, one of the first integrated firehouses in the LA County. Located in the heart of gang activity, this historic site is now P.C.I.T.I. (The Professional Community Intervention Training Institute) headquarters. Very briefly, P.C.I.T.I. is an organization of peacekeepers with practitioner driven community based gang outreach intervention. Some of their programs and services focus on community restoration and violence prevention by being on the streets and counseling gang members. (pciti.net)

Many gangs surround USC. Too many to give a precise number. Gangs operate on 5 Rs: Respect, Revenge, Retribution, Retaliation, and Rewrite. Lots of violence occurs with gangs because someone, somewhere disrespected a gang member. If they feel they have been disrespected in any way, this disrespect must be answered. But, it’s not always about violence in gangs. Many of the gangs around USC have respect for the university and its students. What some don’t know is that they look up to students because of dreams they couldn’t achieve. Dreaming of what it’d be like to attend and play sports for USC. These dreams often become shattered when they face the limited options of their communities.      

Many people have the misconception that the only way out of a gang is to be killed. They believe a teardrop or two tattooed next to their eye means they’ve killed someone. It can mean they’ve killed someone but usually it means they’ve done time. One teardrop for state prison and two teardrops for federal prison. After talking to former gang members, I’ve learned that getting killed is not the only way out. Eventually, one can gain respect within the gang and not gang bang anymore or be active in the gang. They simply remove themselves because they want to make a change in the community and provide more solutions for youth to stay out of the streets.

It was a great experience to hear these kinds of stories from former gang members, and how they decided to turn their lives around and become 24/7 interventionists. Aquil Basheer, a former member of the Black Panther party and founder of P.C.I.T.I., is doing an incredible job providing support in gang saturated communities around the world. He’s doing this by training over 10,500 professional Intervention peacekeepers, public safety experts, social health advocates, victim service specialists, and mental health authorities. Many people are working to fight the gang “epidemic” but it’s disappointing that we never hear about this kind of work being done.

Substance Use Among Gang Youth Annotation

Sanders, Bill, Stephen E. Lankenau, and Jennifer Jackson-Bloom. “Putting in Work: Qualitative    Research on Substance Use and Other Risk Behaviors Among Gang Youth in Los     Angeles.” Substance Use & Misuse 45.5 (2010): 736-53. Taylor & Francis Online. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.

The focus of the article is to discuss how substance use among gang youth is more likely to occur among this group than their nongang peers. It contextualizes the interrelationship between substance use, violence, and unsafe sexual behaviors. The article provides qualitative research from a small sample of gang youth (n = 60) between the ages of 16 to 25 from various areas in Los Angeles. The research was accessed through in-depth interviews during a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded pilot study on substance abuse and other risk behaviors. The authors decided to name their study “Putting in Work” as an expression not only used by gang members in Los Angeles to describe committing criminal activity but to describe the efforts of being involved with the gang-identified youth for research purposes. The article would be useful for a paper focused on substance use among gang youth in various areas of Los Angeles and how this group is more affected than their nongang peers.  

Hello World

The topic of this blog will be on gangs in Los Angeles. I will be emphasizing the social problems, such as gang violence, that are currently affecting communities, families, and individuals. Gangs in Los Angeles are an important topic because according to my Social Work course (SOWK 350: Adolescent Gang Intervention), during the last five years, the number of youth gangs in Los Angeles has increased, and there are more than 400+ gangs in the Los Angeles are with an identified 39,000+ individuals. It is also significant to learn about gangs in Los Angeles because those who are not from Los Angeles may be unaware of the growing gang activity. Usually, Los Angeles is perceived as the California dream. The city is surrounded by some of the most prominent areas, Santa Monica beach, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive, and Hollywood. The blog on gangs in Los Angeles will provide nonresidents with a sense of the reality in Los Angeles.  

            I am a first-generation student who was raised in a neighborhood with gang related activity and graffiti in almost every wall I turned to. My community was constantly living in fear, thinking who would be the next person to be murdered, assaulted, raped or robbed. Eventually, my family moved out of this neighborhood, but I never forgot how living in this neighborhood made me feel everyday. I am interested in the topic of gangs in Los Angeles because I am currently taking a Social Work course on Adolescent Gang Intervention (SOWK 350) and a Sociology course on Public Policy and the Criminal Justice System (SOCI 353). Throughout the spring semester in my SOWK 350 course, I will be participating in a community project with one of the partners listed in the potential postings section, and this will be providing me with hands on experience. In addition, when I graduate in a few months, I would like to begin working with the vulnerable families of South and Central Los Angeles. I would like to help the children and young adults of this community to gain empowerment by being successful in school, building healthy relationships, and improving their emotional well being. After gaining experience, I would like to attend graduate school for social work and further aid families in need of support.  

            Potential posting topics will include: brief historical context of gangs in Los Angeles, theories of gang involvement, examples of gang life and culture, current gang related activities in the news, current interventions addressing this issue, different perspectives of community agencies and institutions on why gangs exist, the influence of diversity based on demographics, my experience with workshop sessions with guest speakers, and my interaction with a human service provider, such as partnerships with Congress, the Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction Youth Development, Los Angeles City Council’s Public Safety Committee, Youth Justice Coalition (YJC), Homeboy Industries, Los Angeles County’s Public Defenders Office, Los Angeles County Probation Department, LAPD, and other key community stakeholders providing me with information that will add to my experience as a student.