Cruz, Nsang Crista Esimi (2024) This is how we do it! Complex theory of strategies to build resilience to resist serious youth violence and offending. Doctoral thesis, University of West London.

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Abstract

Gang-related crime and Serious Youth Violence (SYV) in London have been a concern for at least the last two decades. Two years, in 2023, there was a hike on recorded teenage homicide with more than 21 teenagers killed in London alone; and 2024 - 2025 followed this same trajectory. Whilst stabbings and shootings steal the headlines, the lives and lived experiences of most children and young people living in the capital’s more deprived and gang-affected boroughs remain under-explored. Over 700,000 children live in the most deprived areas of London. Over 95% of them have never been involved in any SYV or gang-related crime. This study analyses the effective strategies that Children and Young People (CYP) and their families living in London’s gang-affected areas use to build personal and community resilience so that they can resist getting involved in criminality. The findings are the result of 14 semi-structured interviews with young adults who grew up and live in some of London’s more socially deprived gang-affected areas. The participants have not been involved in Serious Youth Violence (SYV) and/or group offending. The findings aim to contribute to emerging research in the United Kingdom around the subject. Whilst recent gang scholarship emerged in the UK about 20 years ago, little, if any, of it addressed the fact that over 90% of CYP living in London gang affected areas, who despite the presence of criminogenic have never been involved criminal activity or behaviour. Literature, knowledge, policy, and intervention seem to mainly focus on risk factors, diversion and exit strategies rather than deterrent from engaging in SYV or offending behaviour. From this study, key findings reveal that:
1) The majority of CYP living in gang-affected areas do not engage in criminal behaviour.
2) Authoritative parenting style seems to act as the best parenting style for CYP living in gang-affected areas.
3) Older siblings are key to support positive guiding of CYP living in gang-affected areas.
4) Parental intensive monitoring and supervision minimises the risks for CYP to engage in criminal behaviours.
5) Self-control can be learnt and modified after formative years.
6) Escorting CYP to/ from school through primary and early secondary could reduce the risks to criminal involvement.
7) Pro-social friendships minimise the risks to be involved in SYV and criminal behaviour.
8) Pro-social hobbies and activities can contribute to reduce the risks to engage in SYV and youth crime.
9) There is a high level of community/neighbourhood trauma that impacts on the daily lives and general emotional wellbeing of residents living in London gang affected areas. This impacts as well parenting capacity and CYP’s ability to self-control.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Identifier:	10.36828/thesis/14242
Date Deposited:	06 Dec 2025
URI:	https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/14242

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