I really like my social welfare final. We were given four vignettes and asked to pick one. I picked:

Trent, a twelve year-old boy, lives in Robert Taylor Homes with his mother. His mother recieves monthly TANF payments and food stamps. Trent has been an average student, but in the last year his grades have fallen. He has started acting out in school and is frequently absent. His mother does not understand what has happened to Trent, but one of her neighbors told her that one of the gangs in the neighborhood has been pressuring Trent to join. What help is available to Trent and his mother?

So now I've been researching like crazy and have been finding a ton of information (which is great). Here are some websites that I stumbled upon this evening that I thought were interesting:
A very detailed report on Chicago's gangs: Chicago Crime Commission Gang Book
Violence, Gangs, and the Redivision of Space in Chicago
CHA's Projects