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The gang member who taught me the truth about street violence The gang member who taught me the truth about street violence
(about 4 hours later)
It was my job one day to talk to a gang member. He was 18 and had been admitted to A&E with a fractured eye socket. Reports said he had instigated a fight and that he was known to be involved in street gangs. He had already been aggressive to staff and hospital security had been called several times. The attitude in the multi-disciplinary meeting that I had attended was that he should be fixed and sent home as soon as possible – for the staff’s sake, as much as his own. I was scared.It was my job one day to talk to a gang member. He was 18 and had been admitted to A&E with a fractured eye socket. Reports said he had instigated a fight and that he was known to be involved in street gangs. He had already been aggressive to staff and hospital security had been called several times. The attitude in the multi-disciplinary meeting that I had attended was that he should be fixed and sent home as soon as possible – for the staff’s sake, as much as his own. I was scared.
Violent injuries don’t affect the population at random. Anyone can be unlucky, but if you’re male and young, you’re more likely to be affected. Belonging to an ethnic minority or living in a deprived urban area further bump up your chances. If you’re in a street gang, your odds go up again. As well as perpetrating violence, gang members are more likely to be victims of violence.Violent injuries don’t affect the population at random. Anyone can be unlucky, but if you’re male and young, you’re more likely to be affected. Belonging to an ethnic minority or living in a deprived urban area further bump up your chances. If you’re in a street gang, your odds go up again. As well as perpetrating violence, gang members are more likely to be victims of violence.
As a clinical researcher in hospitals, I often met people who had dodged death in the past few hours. They’d been brought face to face with their physical vulnerability. Serious car crashes, falls from a height, fights and stabbings were common. Even people who had suffered machete attacks, gunshot wounds, and had had a car ram into them repeatedly passed through the trauma ward where I carried out my research. In violent attacks it was often difficult, and sometimes meaningless, to distinguish perpetrators from victims. I learned that your brothers or neighbours can attack you. That people often blame themselves. That a stab feels like a punch at first.As a clinical researcher in hospitals, I often met people who had dodged death in the past few hours. They’d been brought face to face with their physical vulnerability. Serious car crashes, falls from a height, fights and stabbings were common. Even people who had suffered machete attacks, gunshot wounds, and had had a car ram into them repeatedly passed through the trauma ward where I carried out my research. In violent attacks it was often difficult, and sometimes meaningless, to distinguish perpetrators from victims. I learned that your brothers or neighbours can attack you. That people often blame themselves. That a stab feels like a punch at first.
I didn’t want to approach this man but I needed to: he had the same right as anyone else to be part of my research into the psychological effects of injury. As I found his hospital bed, security arrived with another warning. He was angry and indignant when they left and I let him rant and just listened. Eventually I explained the project to him and asked if he wanted to take part. He started telling me his story and suddenly I saw a boy no one else had seen. The fight, he told me, happened after a funeral. The previous week he had been in a street gang fight; his best friend had been stabbed and had died in front of him. The young man and his friends had been drinking after the funeral and a fight kicked off among them. This was the story that brought him to hospital. As he told me this, he cried.I didn’t want to approach this man but I needed to: he had the same right as anyone else to be part of my research into the psychological effects of injury. As I found his hospital bed, security arrived with another warning. He was angry and indignant when they left and I let him rant and just listened. Eventually I explained the project to him and asked if he wanted to take part. He started telling me his story and suddenly I saw a boy no one else had seen. The fight, he told me, happened after a funeral. The previous week he had been in a street gang fight; his best friend had been stabbed and had died in front of him. The young man and his friends had been drinking after the funeral and a fight kicked off among them. This was the story that brought him to hospital. As he told me this, he cried.
That day, no one else in the stretched NHS unit could ask his story. He was a frightened, sad boy being treated like the tough man he pretended to be. He’d been using aggression to preserve some sort of self-esteem after the attacks.That day, no one else in the stretched NHS unit could ask his story. He was a frightened, sad boy being treated like the tough man he pretended to be. He’d been using aggression to preserve some sort of self-esteem after the attacks.
When dealing with patients, we need to see through the aggression and care for the vulnerable patient, however hard they are to see. As a researcher, I had a privileged outsider’s view into the workings of the hospital. The staff had a caring attitude, even to the most challenging patients. Some took a special interest in the wellbeing of victims of violence. But everyone has to focus on their specialism and they have little enough time to do that. Sitting with patients and talking with them is a luxury many in the NHS don’t have. There is great work being done in hospitals to reduce violence but more is needed. Hospital trauma care is one of the key contact points between street gang members and the systems that could help them, if only we can engage with them.When dealing with patients, we need to see through the aggression and care for the vulnerable patient, however hard they are to see. As a researcher, I had a privileged outsider’s view into the workings of the hospital. The staff had a caring attitude, even to the most challenging patients. Some took a special interest in the wellbeing of victims of violence. But everyone has to focus on their specialism and they have little enough time to do that. Sitting with patients and talking with them is a luxury many in the NHS don’t have. There is great work being done in hospitals to reduce violence but more is needed. Hospital trauma care is one of the key contact points between street gang members and the systems that could help them, if only we can engage with them.
That day’s conversation made me reassess my snap judgments. It’s easy to be judgmental and it’s our duty to guard against it, especially with vulnerable people. My research showed that being violently injured is linked with an increased risk of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Despite the bravado, being involved in violence seems to make you yet more vulnerable. It was the hard data that proved it eventually, but I learned it listening to that young man.That day’s conversation made me reassess my snap judgments. It’s easy to be judgmental and it’s our duty to guard against it, especially with vulnerable people. My research showed that being violently injured is linked with an increased risk of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Despite the bravado, being involved in violence seems to make you yet more vulnerable. It was the hard data that proved it eventually, but I learned it listening to that young man.
He didn’t respond to the follow-up stages of research. The phone number and email address he’d given me were dead. I hope he followed up with his medical treatment. I hope he sought some psychological support. Somehow, I doubt it.He didn’t respond to the follow-up stages of research. The phone number and email address he’d given me were dead. I hope he followed up with his medical treatment. I hope he sought some psychological support. Somehow, I doubt it.
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