A New Approach to Gang Violence Includes a Multiple-Choice Test

A New Approach to Gang Violence Includes a Multiple-Choice Test

online.wsj.com

LOS ANGELES -- In more than 40 years of studying this city's street gangs as a social psychologist, Malcolm Klein says his home was burglarized nine times. Now, the retired University of Southern California professor is offering the city what he hopes one day will help stem crime: A test that he says could predict if a child is destined to join a gang.

The multiple-choice screening, some 70 questions long, shows how closely Los Angeles has begun to examine the work of social scientists to tackle complex policy issues like gang violence. Last year, city officials turned to Dr. Klein and his

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"Oh my god, my child will become a gang member when he grows up. I better put him in some psychiatric facility."

This is getting out of hand, it's pretty much common knowledge that this is determined by economic preparedness and the environment surrounding the child. I don't think just because a child fails a test s/he can be screwed for the rest of his/her life. What if the kid has a high IQ and the government is scared of him? BRAND HIM AS A GANGSTA, THAT'LL SHOW THOSE COLLEGES.



online.wsj.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

And just what happens if they test 'positive' to be in a gang? Rehabilitation before it happens? Brain washing? Relocation?

reply to post by die_another_day


They should test them all. Hell, don't stop there. Test every child in this great nation of ours. Test the parents too, and the teachers and the crossing guards and the politicians. Then maybe we can get some people in to jobs that they are qualified for. Maybe then we can just round up anyone that has the potential to cause some sort of problem later in life. It would save us lots of money and time.

But you know, in order to be really thorough, and to keep our gene pool pure, we should probably test people for anything that might result in some sort of undesireable tendency. Hmm...skin is kinda dark....hmm...ancestors are from Sudan....hmm....eyes aren't blue enough.

So if Timmy has a bad day and his Ritalin isn't quite working Monday morning, he bombs the test and gets on the list. Good riddance Timmy. I know that won't affect MY children, for we are the one pure Master Race. Hooray for the providence of genetics.

I have a three step idea also:

1) DO NOT expell students after infractions to run the street
with NO supervision.
( these are the ones that need it most)

2) DO NOT let children dropout until they are 18
( That's really the age of consent, isn't it)

3) PROSECUTE ANYONE over the age of 18 that IS involved
with gangs,to the fullest extent of the law.

Seventeen of the nation's 50 largest cities had high school
graduation rates lower than 50 percent!!

Here

Here is a great idea, how about American Business opening factories and telephone call centers back up in inner cities.

When did the nation's gang problem truly blossom?

Answer: When manufacturing and warehouse industries previously located in inner cities with decent paying skilled labor jobs and often decent paying Union jobs with good benefits started being exported by American Industry to less expensive labor markets.

What about drugs, the War on Drugs and how it factors in?

In my humble oppinion it's a scape goat used by the government and big business to mask the fact there truly are no living wage jobs for most Americans who lack a degree in higher education.

There are not even adequate jobs for people with degrees in higher education.

In fact we are first terrorized by the jobless who turn to criminal enterprise for significant lack of other opportunity. Then as tax payers we are burdened with the cost oh wharehousing entire segments of the population.

If the current politically correct premise is tax smokers excesivelly in order to help society as a whole and to make them quit, why is it not politically correct to excesivelly tax corporations that manufacture and use over seas call centers?

SO much ignorance around in this thread.

And just what happens if they test 'positive' to be in a gang? Rehabilitation before it happens? Brain washing? Relocation?

You didn't read the article. What a surprise.