Notes
Key recommendations
Need to develop policies and services that support healthy development of youth from immigrant families through family-based, school-based and community-based programs.
Gaps identified
A lack of official public crime statistics related to immigration status, race and ethnicity
Community organizations
NA
Key findings
Gang-involved youth from immigrant families had experienced multiple, severe and prolonged personal and interpersonal challenges in all facets of their lives:
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The youth either directly experienced pre-migration trauma or were indirectly impacted by their parents’ pre-migration histories.
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Their life experience in Canada involved gradual disintegration of their interactions with their families, schools and communities.
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The youth experienced crises of identity and belonging, which propelled them towards membership in high-risk social cliques and criminal gangs.
Key populations
Gang-involved youths from immigrant families
Location
Calgary, Alberta
Integration timeline
At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?
Among those who were born outside of Canada, the length of time in Canada ranged from 4 to 25 years, with the average being 15 years.
