NCJ Number
147785
Date Published
1991
Length
181 pages
Annotation
An elaborated social control model was used to examine the etiology of gang membership, using data collected as part of the Rochester Youth Development Study, a longitudinal study of the causes and correlates of juvenile delinquency.
Abstract
The data consisted of self-report surveys collected from both the adolescents and their parents, as well as census data. Results suggested that the elaboration components of social disorganization, deviant peers, and self-concept are the best predictors of gang membership. Findings also indicated that Hirschi's social control theory by itself is not an adequate predictor of gang membership, although attachment to parents and school commitment appear to have some relevance. Findings also indicated that to examine the phenomenon of gang membership appropriately, it is necessary to focus on the gang in relation to the individual. The research suggested that the gang serves a variety of functions for the adolescent and is not simply a conduit to delinquent behavior. Figures, footnotes, appended tables, and 142 references (Author abstract modified)