NCJ Number
147676
Journal
Gang Journal Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (1993) Pages: 37-48
Date Published
1993
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A sample of 11 juvenile gang members being held in two county detention facilities in Alabama completed a questionnaire which included demographic data and items designed to elicit information on their motivation to join and remain in a gang.
Abstract
The questionnaire also examined the respondents' attitudes toward negative compliance structures, namely the juvenile justice system, school, family, and the gang itself. Nearly all respondents were male and lived in a household without a father or positive male role model. Many of these youths also felt a strong sense of responsibility toward their mothers. These boys seemed to join the gang to achieve one or more of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. They believed that legitimate opportunities were either unavailable or not worth their efforts. The study results also suggested that most members feel alienated from authority figures. The most surprising finding was that many youths did not trust their fellow gang members, but remained in the gang because there was no better alternative. 7 tables, 17 references, and 1 appendix