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Gang-related activities are an increasing contemporary problem across the world. Totten (2010) exposes the complex manifestation of this challenge amongst the Aboriginal youth in Canada. While Aboriginal people of Canada account for only 4.9% of the Canadian population, they make up to 22% of all gang members in Canada (Leach et al., 2020; Totten, 2009). The complexity of the dynamics surrounding the nature of Aboriginal gangs’ prevalence can be explained by the fact that Aboriginal youth are the perpetrators, at least in part, and simultaneously the victims of this phenomenon.
At the outset, the Aboriginals experience a disproportionate burden of suffering relative to non-Aboriginal Canadians, a fact that I felt is inherently linked to the enduring effects of colonialism, systematic racism and segregation. I found this particularly interesting as it means a trend of poorer life outcomes is observed among indigenous people such as Canadian Aboriginals and, as Dickson et al. (2000) find, the Maori of New Zealand, relative to the nonindigenous peoples. Perhaps what I found most shocking was the extent of violence female Aboriginal gang members face, such as sex trafficking, assault, forced prostitution and other forms of violence.
Male gang members perpetrate this violence, and to an extent, it is perpetuated by the same system mandated to protect them. Totten (2009) prefaces the discussion with a gut-wrenching account of a twenty-two-year-old-gang-member Aboriginal woman who is sexually repeatedly abused by a fellow gang member. I think this and similar accounts from the various young women enable us to see how girls as young as 12 are exploited by male gang members and make you view the government as passively complicit.
Throughout history, the Canadian gang suppression strategies have largely been punitive, law enforcement focused, which, as Totten notes, have largely been unsuccessful. I agree with the author in that respect. The prospects of effectively tackling the Aboriginal gang problem in Canada is practically impossible unless the burden of suffering of the Aboriginal Canadians is reduced (Totten, 2009). A successful program would involve concerted efforts in addressing the problem at the roots—during the infancy of the high-risk children. Funding otherwise channeled to law enforcement should be redirected to ensure these children do not join a gang or end up in prison. Such a strategy would include tackling the historical underpinnings that dispose Aboriginal people to poorer life outcomes such as endemic poverty and racism.
References
Dickson, N., Sporle, A., Rimene, C., & Paul, C. (2000). Pregnancies among New Zealand teenagers: trends, current status and international comparisons. New Zealand Medical Journal, 113(1112), 241.
Leach, D. M., Baer, L. A., & Yu, P. (2020). Linking Indigenous Communities with Regional Development. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The OECD Observer, 1-3.
Totten, M. (2009). Preventing Aboriginal Youth Gang Involvement in Canada: A Gendered Approach. In Aboriginal Policy Research Conference (p. 19). Ontario; Electronic Magazine library. Web.
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