Clan Affiliation and Its Influence on Youth Involvement in Criminal Organisations and Gangs in Israel

Abstract

This study investigates how clan (hamula) and family affiliation influence youth involvement in gangs and organised crime within Arab communities in Israel. The research examines two groups. Group 1 comprises youth who are actively or were formerly involved in organised crime, while Group 2 consists of non-involved youth from the same communities who observe peers engaged in criminal activity. The findings reveal the dual role of clan affiliation. It can serve as a risk factor when clan loyalty, honour codes and collective identity pressure youth into gang activity; the clan structure may facilitate recruitment through kinship ties and perceived obligations to extended family members to engage in illicit activities. Conversely, clan affiliation can function as a protective mechanism when cultural values are redirected towards prosocial outcomes and individual agency is affirmed. Non-involved youth identify supportive clan intervention and positive family influence as key protective factors enabling desistance and integration into conventional society. Understanding this double-edged dynamic from both involved and non-involved youth perspectives is essential for developing culturally sensitive intervention strategies.