NCJ Number
178359
Journal
Youth and Society Volume: 30 Issue: 3 Dated: March 1999 Pages: 267-282
Date Published
1999
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study investigated factors associated with gang involvement among rural and urban adolescents.
Abstract
Data were obtained from a large self-report survey designed to assess adolescent needs and concerns for community-based program planning. The sample of 7th through 12th graders in Nevada included urban students from schools in Reno (n=1,421) and rural students from schools located in isolated, rural counties (n=762). The survey was conducted during the 1995-96 school year. Demographic and psychosocial items on the survey questionnaire addressed gang involvement, physical fighting, carrying weapons, emotional adjustment, life satisfaction, family communication, family concerns, peer concerns, school concerns, neighborhood concern, and socioeconomic status. Findings show no significant difference in gang membership or pressure to join gangs between the rural and urban samples. There were differences, however, on other gang and violence indicators. Overall, urban students were significantly more likely than rural students to report they had friends in gangs and were threatened by gangs. Further, the urban students had significantly heightened concerns for personal safety, gangs, and violence in their schools and communities. Several rural/urban gender-related differences were also found. Implications for rural communities, prevention, and intervention programming, as well as future research are discussed. 4 tables and 37 references