1 Ruia Research Report_2013_Final Draft PROJECT Ruia Whakatauki PROJECT SPONSOR Safe Tairawhiti Community Trust PROJECT MANAGER Manu Caddie DOCUMENT Phase One: Research Report Date 2013 Author Shona Munro Disclaimer While every attempt has been made to ensure that this report accurately reflects the current gang situation in Tairawhiti, and present viable options for solution-based actions, the writer recognises that there are bound to be many omissions and that this report will not be a panacea for all things related to criminal and gang behaviour in Tairawhiti. Some of the limitations of this report are time-frames, availability of information from organisations, and the limitations of the writer’s own understanding and experience in this sector. The writer has based this report on information provided by other experts in the field and acknowledges that there is still much to be discovered and discussed to effectively address the criminal and violent gang behaviour that negatively impacts on our community. 1. Executive Summary The Ruia project was established in 2012. The aim of the project is to “comprehensively address and change the perennial problems of crime and anti-social behaviour associated with gangs in Tairawhiti”. The project takes a phased approach. This report is the final deliverable for phase one – research. This phase included: - Literature Review (completed by Gilbert & Newbold 2007) - Interviews with gang members, ex-gang members, partners of gang members, community groups, NGOs, Iwi and Police, and - Survey of Employers There are a variety of “definitions” used in relation to gangs. This report focuses on “criminal gangs” who are involved in crime, violence and/or anti-society activities. It is noted in several places throughout the report that in Tairawhiti gangs are often intergenerational and tied to whanau and therefore not specific to a particular age-group. It also means that any programme or service targeted at gang behaviour needs to take into consideration impact on the wider whanau and whanau ties and relationships. Both international and New Zealand research agree that a multi-pronged, community-wide approach is needed to effectively resolve unwanted gang behaviour. A multi-pronged approach would include prevention, intervention and suppression activities working together for a collective community impact. Another key finding from research, including interviews, was that education and employment opportunities are fundamental in addressing the issues and strategies to improve these areas need to be at the centre of any collaborative strategy or action plan.
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Ruia Research Report_2013_Final Draft
PROJECT Ruia Whakatauki
PROJECT SPONSOR Safe Tairawhiti Community Trust
PROJECT MANAGER Manu Caddie
DOCUMENT Phase One: Research Report
Date 2013
Author Shona Munro
Disclaimer
While every attempt has been made to ensure that this report accurately reflects the current gang situation in
Tairawhiti, and present viable options for solution-based actions, the writer recognises that there are bound to be
many omissions and that this report will not be a panacea for all things related to criminal and gang behaviour in
Tairawhiti.
Some of the limitations of this report are time-frames, availability of information from organisations, and the
limitations of the writer’s own understanding and experience in this sector.
The writer has based this report on information provided by other experts in the field and acknowledges that there
is still much to be discovered and discussed to effectively address the criminal and violent gang behaviour that
negatively impacts on our community.
1. Executive Summary
The Ruia project was established in 2012. The aim of the project is to “comprehensively address and
change the perennial problems of crime and anti-social behaviour associated with gangs in
Tairawhiti”. The project takes a phased approach. This report is the final deliverable for phase one –
research.
This phase included:
- Literature Review (completed by Gilbert & Newbold 2007)
- Interviews with gang members, ex-gang members, partners of gang members, community
groups, NGOs, Iwi and Police, and
- Survey of Employers
There are a variety of “definitions” used in relation to gangs. This report focuses on “criminal gangs”
who are involved in crime, violence and/or anti-society activities.
It is noted in several places throughout the report that in Tairawhiti gangs are often intergenerational
and tied to whanau and therefore not specific to a particular age-group. It also means that any
programme or service targeted at gang behaviour needs to take into consideration impact on the
wider whanau and whanau ties and relationships.
Both international and New Zealand research agree that a multi-pronged, community-wide approach
is needed to effectively resolve unwanted gang behaviour. A multi-pronged approach would include
prevention, intervention and suppression activities working together for a collective community impact.
Another key finding from research, including interviews, was that education and employment
opportunities are fundamental in addressing the issues and strategies to improve these areas need to
be at the centre of any collaborative strategy or action plan.
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Ruia Research Report_2013_Final Draft
The research phase highlighted that there is still a lot of work to do to get all parts of the machinery
working effectively together and it will take a lot of discussion, good will and strong relationships
between partners if the desired outcomes are to be achieved.
The key findings and recommendations are set out in Section 6 of this report.
2. Introduction
The Ruia Project (Ruia) was initiated as a result of a report that was presented to Gisborne District
Council (GDC) in March 2011 (Council’s Role in Relation to Gangs: 11/108). This led to a discussion
at the Safe Tairawhiti Community Trust (STCT) meeting in April 2011 on how STCT and GDC could
work together to address gang issues in the district. In May 2011 GDC Councillors passed a
resolution that Council did not have a role in this work and that Council’s participation in STCT was
Council’s contribution to any work that was to be done in relation to addressing gang related issues in
Tairawhiti.
Following this meeting, and the development of the STCT Safe Community Strategy, a multi-agency
forum was established to lead and coordinate a project on Gang Intervention under the “Crime
Prevention” work stream of STCT which is led by NZ Police.
In November 2011 the multi-agency group met to discuss the best approach to identifying and
addressing gang related issues in Tairawhiti. This led to the development of the Gang Prevention
Network whose purpose is:
“a group of committed partners who have come together to develop solutions, interventions and
prevention strategies to reduce gang related violence and crime in Tairawhiti” (Gang Prevention
Network Terms of Reference)
The identified outcomes for this group are to develop:
- a Gang Prevention Plan which identifies multi-agency solutions, interventions and prevention
strategies that reduce gang related violence and crime in Tairawhiti
- timely, rapid and coordinated responses to gang related activities and violence
- regular assessments to monitor inputs, outputs and outcomes for activities and collaborations
- develop a plan to increase visibility and awareness in order to better advocate for better
outcomes.
The Gang Prevention Network met in November 2011 and agreed to initiate the Gang Transformation
Project. After some consultation it was decided to rename the project “Ruia” which holds two
meanings – one to strip away or shake up something. The second is to sow, plant seed. The aims of
this project are to shake up and strip away criminal and violent gang behaviour and to sow/plant
seeds for better options for youth who are at risk of being drawn into criminal and violent gangs and
therefore the name Ruia seems appropriate.
The purpose of this project is to “comprehensively address and change the perennial problems of
crime and anti-social behaviour associated with gangs in Tairawhiti”.
The Ruia project has taken an evidence-based approach and has three key phases
- Phase One: Research and Analysis
- Phase Two: Solution Strategies and Planning
- Phase Three: Implementation of Solutions Strategies and Plans
This report is the output from Phase One: Research and Analysis.
2.1. Ruia Project: Phase One – Research and Analysis
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Ruia Research Report_2013_Final Draft
The Ruia Project: Phase One has been aimed at collecting, analysing and evaluating data and
research on gang activity in Tairawhiti, current and proposed programmes for transformation/
intervention, and engagement of relevant stakeholders and communities.
The Phase One work has included a Literature Review and interviews with key local stakeholders
including gang members, prospects, whanau, social service providers, educators, employers, Police,
Iwi and resident’s associations.
The Literature Review was carried out in May 2012 by Jarrod Gilbert, Independent Research
Solutions and Greg Newbold, School of Social and Political Sciences – University of Canterbury.
Interviews with a variety of stakeholders were conducted by Joshua Wharehinga in May 2012 to
August 2013.
In addition, a survey on employing gang and ex-gang members was carried out by Manu Caddie in
early 2013.
The primary output from this phase of the project is this report which provides recommendations on
options for solution strategies and actions. The project was approved for implementation in February
2012 by the Gang Prevention Network.
3. Literature Review – Summary
The following section is a summary of the work completed by Gilbert & Newbold: 2007.
The Literature Review was commissioned by STCT in May 2012. The purpose of the Literature
Review was to identify, review and summarise national and global information related to:
- Definition of gangs
- Common needs of gang members, and
- Effective control strategies
It is noted in the preface to the Literature Review report that there is very limited research and data
available in relation to the New Zealand environment, and therefore much of the information is based
on material from overseas studies and research. Limitations in using overseas data include:
- Mostly focussed on urban environments whereas Tairawhiti is predominately a provincial and
rural environment
- Often related to ethnic diversity and does not address specific context of a Maori culture set
against a background of British colonialism and dominance.
Despite these limitations the data from overseas reports, particularly from Canada, Australia, United
States and UK still provide valuable insights and lessons that we can take on board as we look to
address the gang related issues within the local context.
3.1. Definition of “Gangs” in Tairawhiti context
Definitions of gangs are difficult but important. The way gangs are defined influences the way they are
viewed and how they might be responded to. Different organisational definitions of “gangs” are:
Incipient gang
A group of individuals with a loose structure, few formal rules, a common identifier (colours, a name,
hand signals etc.), whose activities are not primarily criminal but involve (mostly) petty crimes, and
who see themselves as a gang and are identified as such by others in the community.
Gang
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Ruia Research Report_2013_Final Draft
A structured group (of five or more people) that maintains an exclusive membership marked by
common identifiers and formal rules that supersede the rules of the state.
Criminal gang
A structured group (of five or more people) that maintains an exclusive membership marked by
common identifiers, formal rules that supersede the rules of the state, and which has an
organisational focus on profit through crime.
The focus of this report and its recommendations is primarily on criminal gangs who are involved in
petty crime and/or violent and anti-society activities. It should be noted here that criminal gangs in
Tairawhiti are often intergenerational in nature which means that a whanau-based approach is
needed to address the issues as they do not rest at only a youth or adult level.
The basic premise is “harm to none” – if a group of people form a gang but are not involved in criminal
and/or violent or anti-society activity there is no reason to change or transform their association and
activities.
3.2. Common Needs of Gang Members in Aotearoa and Tairawhiti
There are a multitude of factors that contribute to participation in gang culture. These can be:
- Social factors
- Psychological factors, and/or
- Risk factors
Social Factors
- Repression of gang activity in a negative manner results in gangs becoming more cohesive,
alienated and insulated against mainstream community (The Gang: Thrasher, 1972)
- Social inequality and depravation result in frustration and a become a driver for young people
to join gangs since they are unable to attain social status through legitimate ways (Anomie
Theory)
- Criminal behaviour, like conformist behaviour, is learned through social interaction and
therefore a culture of crime can be passed on intergenerationally (Cultural Transmission
Theory)
Most social theory agrees that “the increasing urban underclass is the foremost cause of
…proliferation of gangs and the most likely predictor of its continuation” (Hagedorn, Short & Klein,
1995)
Most of the research on the influence of social factors on gang participation comes out of the United
States and is based on urban gang culture.
Psychological Factors
There is also a fundamental socio-psychological need that provides an allure to potential gang
members. Carlie (2002) identified that gang membership fulfils:
- Physiological needs (shelter, food, sex)
- Safety needs (security and protection from physical and emotional harm)
- Belongingness
- Esteem through autonomy, respect, achievement and status
- Self-actualisation through the opportunity to fulfil one’s potential, particularly when the usual
social structure limits or puts barriers in the way of the person due to education or social
challenges
These needs can be seen as push and pull factors. The push comes from the wider community
through family instability, failure at school and in the “social norm”, and poor employment prospects.
The pull comes from allure of prestige, thrills, excitement, power, belonging, and protection.
Risk Factors
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In addition to the social and psychological factors, there are a number of risk factors that may
contribute to a person’s inclination to join a gang. These can be grouped as: