Motives and Methods for Leaving the Gang: Understanding the Process of Gang Desistance

• NCJ Number: 236374
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 39 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2011 Pages: 417-425
• Author(s): David C. Pyrooz; Scott H. Decker
• Date Published: 2011
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

This study examined the experiences and process involved in leaving a gang, as reflected in the experiences of a sample of 84 juvenile arrestees in Arizona, all of whom had left their gangs.

Abstract

Motives for leaving the gang were organized into factors internal ("push") and external ("pull") to the gang. Methods for leaving the gang were organized into hostile and non-hostile modes of departure, and motives and methods for leaving the gang were organized into hostile and non-hostile modes of departure. "Push" motives and non-hostile methods were the modal responses for leaving the gang. Although it was not uncommon to experience a hostile departure from the gang, most former gang members reported walking away without ritual violence or ceremony. This method was dependent on the motive for departure, however, none of the individuals who left the gang for external reasons experienced a hostile departure. Although gang ties continued regardless of motive or method for leaving the gang, retaining such ties was linked to serious consequences. Desistance from crime is rarely sudden; there is no reason to suspect that desistance from gang crime will follow such a pattern. Withdrawal from gang crime can be expected to occur over a more protracted time period. Individuals who have left the gang but remain involved in crime are tied to the gang through social and emotional connections to the gang network. These ties keep them involved in crime. The authors recommend that future research use both qualitative and quantitative methods in further examining both the desistance-from-crime process and the "post-gang" lives of individuals. Data for the study were collected from interviews in local juvenile facilities as part of the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM)) program. Local trained staff interviewed the youth within 48 hours after booking. 5 tables, 9 notes, and 55 references