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Environmental Factors: Skinner's Behavioral Perspective

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Dealing with unhealthy groups like gangs or cults is an important issue in social psychology.

Bob is an adolescent who grew up in a gang-infested part of a large city. His parents provided little supervision while he was growing up and left Bob mostly on his own. He developed friendships with several kids in his neighborhood who were involved in gangs, and eventually joined a gang himself. Now crime and gang activities are a way of life for Bob. These have become his way to identify with his peer group and to support himself.
Discusion of how Bob's environment played a large role in his current lifestyle. This coincides with Skinner's concept of environment and the reinforcements in that environment

What types of environmental changes and positive reinforcements would you suggest and why?

What are some interventions that are used in the field currently? Are there any evidence-based programs that use these environmental and reinforcement interventions?

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Solution Summary

Gang prevention from a behaviorist perspective

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Evidence Based Gang prevention programs:

1. See http://www.gangprograms.com/

Pheonix has many evidence based gang prevention programs. These are good examples of what is currently being used. CBT is an intervention most commonly used as it is cheaper and easily measurable. Gangs tend to prey on individuals with low self esteem or low self worth so they offer belonging so long as the ...

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