Functional Family Therapy- Gang (FFT-G®) is a gang prevention/intervention program designed to impact youth who are gang-involved or at risk of involvement. The intervention focuses on the family and directly addresses criminogenic risk factors that are often more prominent in a gang population than in a more general delinquent population.

Gang Prevention

Key Components of FFT-G

FFT-G follows the standard FFT model, with a sharpened focus on key components of gang prevention including:

FFT-G uses focused stakeholder engagement and education around local gang characteristics to match engagement and intervention strategies to the specific characteristics and social ecology of local gang-involved youth.

Many youths join gangs due to peer pressure, and/or to feel a sense of belonging. FFT-G works with intrafamilial and extrafamilial influences in a young person’s life, including peers, and strives to motivate the youth to positively change their peer associations and focus on pro-social behaviors that are followed by positive consequences.

Gang members are involved at a higher level than non-gang members in virtually all forms of criminal behavior including violent crime, property crime, drug use, drug sales, and gun crime. FFT-G considers the specific risk factors that lead youth to gang involvement and the criminogenic behaviors associated with involvement and places a focus on addressing those behaviors. 

Key Features of FFT-G

Our gang prevention program is:

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Successful at Reducing Crime

In a recent multi-year randomized trial, FFT-G® was found to significantly reduce criminal activity among youth and was found to be particularly effective in decreasing drug charges, crimes against person charges, and property charges.

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Cost-Effective

By significantly lowering arrest, confinement, and re-arrest rates, FFT-G brings large economic benefits to communities by lowering the costly fees associated with justice system involvement.

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Sustainable

By placing a focus on developing long-term, individualized plans for families, the FFT-G model is durable and sustainable. In fact, research shows that youth and families sustain benefits over a year after treatment.

Interested in implementing FFT’s evidence-based youth and family interventions?