Differential levels of educational attainment: A look at the facts about gang involvement
As Dr. Harvey Shapiro of Northeastern University continues to share his wisdom through a series of blogs, he often examines the research contributed by a number of academic scholars, which has resulted in his Handbook on Violence in Education. One chapter titled “School of Hard Knocks: Gangs, Schools, and Education in the United States” was written by Kendra J. Clark, David C. Pyrooz, and Ryan Randa.
In this chapter, the research focused on the incidence of gang violence in schools. In one of the sections of the study, the emphasis was on the differential levels of academic attainment between gang members and non-gang members.
As Dr. Harvey Shapiro of Northeastern University bears, the fact is that there is an undeniable lack of inclusion, integration, and motivation of gang‐involved students. One alarming reality is that being a gang member is enough to influence teachers to interact differently with these students, compared to students who are not affiliated with any gangs.
This is an unfortunate reality that happens in school, especially as it is expected to be an institution where learning takes place, so that citizens may grow to be responsible and productive and not end up in the company of troublemakers.
Some of these students have reported that their lack of motivation in school is due to low expectations set for them by their own teachers, Dr. Harvey Shapiro of Northeastern University points out. The problem makes its presence felt the most a little later, as the student approaches adulthood. With lower levels of education, gang-involved students end up having very few job opportunities, which also limits their means to acquire the basic necessities for living.
The related literature of the research has even asserted that for gang members who foresee their entire lives being lived as members of the lower class, the standard curriculum does very little to prepare them for their futures.
Harvey Shapiro, PhD, is a Clinical Professor in the Graduate School of Education of the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University. He is the editor and contributing author of the recently published Handbook on Violence in Education: Forms, Factors, and Preventions. For more on this topic, visit this page.
