Forgiveness, not fear, stops kids from joining gangs, expert says

B.C. has recently seen four people under the age of 25 accused in brutal killings, and an expert in gangs says fear isn’t the way to keep kids away from violence.

Gira Bhatt, psychology professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, says a study of 400 high school students found that those with a greater capacity for forgiveness, along with gratitude, trust, and self-reliance, were the least likely to get involved in violence, and trying to steer them using fear doesn’t work.

“When you tell kids that ‘if you join gangs you will die, you will go to jail,’ do you think they care? It’s the excitement and trying to push the boundaries, and they kind of derive thrill out of it — these are thrill seekers,” she told CityNews.

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Telling children what to do is not the way to go, Bhatt says.

“It’s like telling young kids to start saving now, your RRSP, you’ll retire someday — it’s a distant possibility for them. They cannot do it, so telling that kids you’re going to die, that is a distant possibility for them. It doesn’t scare them.”

Instead, Bhatt says of trying to “get even” for grievances, using gratitude, trust, and fostering independence is key.

“You make your own decisions, and not get carried away by peer influences and believe that you are what you believe yourself to be.”