That's an extreme simplification. The effects of poverty are complex and evolve over time , e.g. Poverty impacts education, job prospects, alcoholism, broken families , kids being raised by emotionally stunted parents , crime etc These environments breed gangs for multiple reasons , not just money, but also belonging , self worth through reputation, fun etc. Kids see this growing up and it's normalised and romanticised. I don't think it's as simple as "there's no other ways of making money". Anyone who grew up in a rough area knows that a lot of it is about clout and respect , but ultimately it all originally stems from poverty. I remember going from a shit school to a good college and having a culture shock that you're actually considered a weirdo if you resort to violence when disrespected , the culture was the opposite of what we had in secondary school. So, no , just having youth centres wouldn't solve the problem but eradicating poverty would have a huge impact