NCJ Number
237566
Journal
Injury Prevention Dated: Jan. 2012
Date Published
January 2012
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study sought to identify risk and protective factors to provide more direction for gang violence prevention strategies.
Abstract
Study findings suggest potential benefit from increasing parental monitoring and coping skills and reducing delinquency, alcohol use, and drug use to prevent gang affiliation. Gang violence accounted for 20% of homicides in large cities from 2002 to 2006. Preventing gang affiliation (i.e. youth who either desire or have gang membership) might reduce subsequent gang activity. Previous research had focused on identifying risk factors for gang affiliation; however, little information is available on protective factors. The author analyzed cross-sectional survey data from 4,131 youths in grades 7, 9, 11, and 12. Data were collected in 2004 from students in a high-risk, urban public school district. Regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between gang affiliation and alcohol and drug use, delinquency, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, peer victimization, parental monitoring and positive reinforcement, adult, family and peer support, coping skills, and school connectedness. Additional analyses were controlled for sex, race/ethnicity, and age. An estimated 7% of youths were gang affiliated. Adjusting for all factors, gang affiliation was positively associated with engaging in any delinquent behaviors, frequent alcohol use, and frequent drug use. Gang affiliation was negatively associated with moderate levels of parental monitoring and coping skills.