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The recruitment and initiation of girls into gangs in the Western Cape
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2021
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| _version_ | 1867613788445868032 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Muller, Imanuella |
| author2 | Naidoo, Anthony V. |
| author_browse | Muller, Imanuella Naidoo, Anthony V. |
| author_facet | Naidoo, Anthony V. Muller, Imanuella |
| author_sort | Muller, Imanuella |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/110073 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:42.984Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/110073 The recruitment and initiation of girls into gangs in the Western Cape Muller, Imanuella Naidoo, Anthony V. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. Gangs -- South Africa -- Western Cape Female gang members -- South Africa -- Western Cape Female gang members -- Recruitment, initiation, roles, exiting Young women -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Social interventions Interventions for girls in gangs UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gangsterism is a worldwide phenomenon with serious consequences for community well-being. Locally in the Western Cape, South Africa, gangs present a complex phenomenon which impairs community functioning and hampers community development. Young girls and women have been largely absent and voiceless in gang research and this thesis sought to give a sample of women the chance to tell the stories of their direct experiences within gang culture. Particularly, the thesis sought to examine how young girls and women in the Western Cape are recruited and initiated into gangs. The thesis also aimed to find out from the research participants what their suggestions are for prevention and intervention efforts for young girls at risk to gang involvement, and for women who are or have already been involved with gangs, wanting to start a new life. Secondary research aims included learning more about the roles of females in gangs, their motivations for gang membership, and what benefits came from their time in the gang culture. The study adopted a community psychology framework and a feminist perspective in examining the research topic, analysing the data, and reporting on the research findings. A qualitative, Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methodology was deemed appropriate, given the research aims and the context in which the research was initiated and implemented. The research formed part of a pilot project which emerged as a collaboration between numerous international and local organisations. Qualitative data collected via individual interviews were transcribed and analysed using a manual thematic analysis of the data. The findings of the study are presented deductively in the following themes: 1) Gang recruitment; 2) Gang initiation; 3) Prevention and intervention; 4) Benefits of gang membership; 5) Gang culture, and 6) Gang exit. The findings showed that various active and passive recruitment methods are used to recruit young girls and women into gangs; the most common reported being a romantic connection between young girls and women with a male gang member and the lure of drugs and alcohol offered in gang spaces. While no specific initiation rituals were reported, it was evident that there is a need for the new member to prove her loyalty to a gang in order to earn and secure their trust, and this can be done in numerous ways. Findings revealed that the most critical factors to consider in prevention and intervention efforts, from the point of view of the research participants, include sustained post-intervention support, employment, recreational activities for young girls, and tools for navigating life in gang plagued communities. This indicates a need for a holistic response to the multiple needs of young girls at risk to gang involvement and women who have left, or are wanting to exit a gang. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bendes is ʼn wêreldwye verskynsel wat ernstige gevolge vir die welstand en ontwikkeling van gemeenskappe inhou. Bende betrokkenheid onder die jeug is ʼn ingewikkelde verskynsel veral in die Westelike Provinsie van Suid-Afrika en die gevolge is deurlopend. Die betrokkenheid en die impak van jong meisies en vroue binne bende kultuur word selde by navorsingstudies ingesluit. Om hierdie rede beoog die huidige studie om aan agt vroue die geleentheid te bied om hulle stories en ervaringe binne die bende kultuur te deel. Die studie beoog om veral klem te lê op hoe jong meisies en vroue in die Westelike Provinsie gewerf en geïnisieer word binne bendes. Deelnemers in die studie was gevra om voorstelle te gee vir die voorkoming van jong meisies in bende aktiwiteite asook ingrypings om vroue wat alreeds betrokke in bende s is, te help om ʼn nuwe lewe aan te durf. Parallel tot bogenoemde beoog die studie ook om meer te leer oor die rolle van vroue in bendes, wat hulle motiveer om by bendes aan te sluit, asook watter voordele bende betrokkenheid vir hulle inhou. Die studie geskied binne ʼn gemeenskapsielkundige raamwerk en ʼn Kwalitatiewe Gemeenskap Beseerde Deelnemende Navorsing metodologie was as toepaslik vir die doeleindes en konteks van die navorsing beskou. Die navorsing vorm deel van ʼn loodsprojek wat in samewerking met verskeie internasionale en plaaslike organisasies onderneem was. Die data was deur middel van onderhoude versamel. Onderhoude was opgeneem en daarna getranskribeer. Tematiese analise was toegepas. Die uitkomste van die data was binne die volgende temas deduktief geplaas: 1) Bende werwing; 2) Bende inisiëring; 3) Voorkoming en ingryping; 4) Voordele van bende lidmaatskap; 5) Bende kultuur en 6) Bende verlating. Die bevindinge wys dat verskeie aktiewe en passiewe werwings metodes gebruik word om jong meisies en vroue by bendes te betrek; die mees gerapporteerde metode is die romantiese verbintenis tussen ʼn jong meisie of vrou en ʼn mans bendelid saam met die dwelms en alkohol wat binne die bende spasie geoffer word. Geen spesifieke inisiëring ritueel was gerapporteer nie, alhoewel dit duidelik was dat daar ʼn verwagting was omdat die voue hul lojaliteit tot die bende bewys ten einde hulle vertroue te wen. Hierdie kan op verskeie maniere gewys word. Die bevindinge bewys dat die mees kritiese faktore wat in ag moet word binne voorkoming en ingrypings pogings is aanhoudende na-ingrypings ondersteuning, werksgeleenthede, gesonde ontspanningsaktiwiteite vir jong meisies en wenke om binne gemeenskappe wat oorweldig is met bende aktiwiteite te leef. Die data beklemtoon die belangrikheid van om ʼn holistiese response tot die veelvoudige behoeftes van jong meisies wat riskant is tot bende betrokkenheid en vroue wat bendes verlaat het of wie wag vir ʼn geleentheid om ʼn bende te verlaat te ontwikkel. Masters 2021-03-08T16:18:35Z 2021-04-21T14:39:01Z 2021-03-08T16:18:35Z 2021-04-21T14:39:01Z 2021-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110073 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xviii, 205 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Gangs -- South Africa -- Western Cape Female gang members -- South Africa -- Western Cape Female gang members -- Recruitment, initiation, roles, exiting Young women -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Social interventions Interventions for girls in gangs UCTD Muller, Imanuella The recruitment and initiation of girls into gangs in the Western Cape |
| title | The recruitment and initiation of girls into gangs in the Western Cape |
| title_full | The recruitment and initiation of girls into gangs in the Western Cape |
| title_fullStr | The recruitment and initiation of girls into gangs in the Western Cape |
| title_full_unstemmed | The recruitment and initiation of girls into gangs in the Western Cape |
| title_short | The recruitment and initiation of girls into gangs in the Western Cape |
| title_sort | recruitment and initiation of girls into gangs in the western cape |
| topic | Gangs -- South Africa -- Western Cape Female gang members -- South Africa -- Western Cape Female gang members -- Recruitment, initiation, roles, exiting Young women -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Social interventions Interventions for girls in gangs UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110073 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mullerimanuella therecruitmentandinitiationofgirlsintogangsinthewesterncape AT mullerimanuella recruitmentandinitiationofgirlsintogangsinthewesterncape |