Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.)

School program to prevent violence in adolescent students. The objective is to promote positive family relationships and avoid association with gangs.
Two components are worked on:
1) At the beginning, students receive a letter to share with their parents, designed to facilitate parent-child interaction and strengthen family relationships.
2) The second stage takes place during the school vacation period and provides students with positive social, cognitive, and interpersonal growth activities as alternatives to involvement in delinquent activities.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed a moderate positive effect on gang participation, with no statistical difference on crime and violent crime. There was a small positive effect on prosocial attitudes, in relation to police and social skills development. The study had an experimental and longitudinal design (five years), with a sample of 3,820 students from seven U.S. cities [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Esbensen, F. A., Peterson, D., Taylor, T. J. & Osgood, D. W. (2012). Results from a Multi-Site Evaluation of the G.R.E.A.T. Program. Justice Quarterly, 29(1), 125–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2011.585995

Information source

Crime Solutions