An Understanding of Various Sources That Explain why Youth Join Gangs

792 Words2 Pages

With many sources that attempt to explain why youth join gangs, studies based on empirical research are optimal to reveal the critical factors. This paper will focus on the key sources that are based on empirical methodologies as the base for comprehending why youth join gangs. The research has a pattern that reveals youth join gangs because of pre-existing delinquency, homophily, and low socio-economic status.
One of the critical factors that explain why youth join gangs is pre-existing delinquency, meaning a youth is delinquent before becoming a gang member. Although this is based on a societal belief that being more delinquent will result in becoming a gang member, studies based on empirical research reveal that youth's pre-existing delinquency results in a higher chance of becoming a gang member (Gordon, Lahey, Kawai, Loeber, and Farrington 2004, Lachman, Roman, and Cahill 2013, Maclure and Sotelo 2004, Yoder, Whitbeck, and Hoyt 2003, and Johnstone 1983).
This can be visualized by comparing youth who join gangs with youth who do not join. As suggested by Gordon et al. the youth who join gangs have more pre-existing delinquency versus youth who do not join (2004). This lives up to the societal belief that when a child behaves well, they will have a bright future versus children that cause serious trouble. In addition, there is a positive correlation between likelihood of being a gang member and pre-existing delinquent behaviour (Thornberry et al. 2003 as cited in Gordon et al. 2004), despite the fact that children do not stay in gangs for a long time. Thornberry et al. further support this by revealing that youth boys who are antisocial to begin with are more likely to be recruited into a gang (1993 and 1994). This makes se...

... middle of paper ...

...s that have been explored.

Works Cited

Gordon, Rachel A., Benjamin B. Lahey, Eriko Kawai, Rolf Loeber & Magda Stouthamer-Loeber, and David P. Farrington. 2004. "Antisocial Behaviour and Youth Gang Membership: Selection and Socialization." Criminology 42:55-87.
Johnstone, John W.C. 1983. "Recruitment to a Youth Gang." Youth & Society 14:281-300.
Lachman, Pamela, Caterina G. Roman, and Meagan Cahill. 2013. "Assessing Youth Motivations for Joining a Peer Group as Risk Factors for Delinquent and Gang Behaviour." Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 11:212-229.
Maclure, Richard, and Melvin Sotelo. 2004. "Youth Gangs in Nicaragua: Gang Membership as Structured Individualization." Journal of Youth Studies 7:417-432.
Yoder, Kevin A., Les B. Whitbeck, and Dan R. Hoyt. 2003. "Gang Involvement and Membership Among Homeless and Runaway Youth." Youth & Society 34:441-467.

More about An Understanding of Various Sources That Explain why Youth Join Gangs

Open Document