Author(s)

Theodore Petrus

Department of Anthropology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Gang subcultures continue to be a significant threat to safety and security in various communities throughout South Africa. Despite largely punitive approaches and strategies to address gangs, very little meaningful and viable results have been achieved. While it is important that attention should be focused on gang formations and how they operate, very little attention has been paid to the communities within which gangs emerge and thrive. Little to no strategic community support is provided to affected communities. This article argues for a consideration of community coaching/mentoring as a strategic asset and support mechanism for addressing the impact of gang subcultures. The discussion is based on the author’s research on gang subcultures in a community in the Northern Areas of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), in the province of the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Coaching/Mentoring, Gang Subcultures, Northern Areas, Gqeberha, South Af-rica

Petrus, T. (2023) Community Coaching/Mentoring as a Strategic Asset in Addressing the Negative Impact of Gang Subcultures in a Gang-Affected Community in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 11, 204-221. doi: 10.4236/jss.2023.1110014.