NCJ Number
140760
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1993) Pages: 55-87
Date Published
1993
Length
33 pages
Annotation
Data from the Rochester Youth Development Study were used to compare three alternative explanations for why gang membes are more likely to have higher rates of serious and violent crime than nongang members: a selection or "kind of person" model, a social facilitation or "kind of group" model, and an enhancement model that combines aspects of the selection and social facilitation models.
Abstract
The boys of the Rochester Youth Development Study who were gang members, similar to other studies of street gangs, were much more delinquent than nongang members. Results for transient gang members, those who were gang members for only 1 year and presumably less committed to the gang, were most consistent with the social facilitation model. Involvement in delinquency was particularly high when the boy was an active gang member, but these boys were not consistently more delinquent than nongang members when they were not active in the gang. For those who remained gang members for at least 2 years and were presumably more committed to the gang, i.e., the stable gang members, results were slightly more consistent with the enhancement model. These boys exhibited the highest rates of general delinquency, yet delinquent involvement was greatest during their years of active gang membership. Gang membership appeared to have only a slight impact on crimes against property. Possibly the strongest support for the social facilitation model was found in the analysis of the type of behavior most frequently associated with gangs, namely, crimes against the person. Both tranisent and stable gang members had higher rates of person offenses only when active gang members. Gang membership emerged as generative of violent behavior among these boys. 12 footnotes, 8 tables, 41 references, and 1 appendix