NCJ Number
173570
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: June 1998 Pages: 328-345
Date Published
1998
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article examines the relationship between youth maltreatment and subsequent gang involvement.
Abstract
Research demonstrates that physical and sexual maltreatment increases the risk of gang involvement among secondary school students. Being maltreated increases the probability of gang involvement, independent of demographic factors. When youth are subjected to extreme levels of maltreatment, their odds of participating in gang activities differ only slightly from youth who report occasional maltreatment, suggesting that prevalence measures may be better predictors of gang involvement than incidence measures. When youth are beaten physically and molested sexually, their odds of gang involvement are four times higher than youth who do not experience maltreatment. Finally, being maltreated is a much more robust correlate of gang involvement than the level of support, communication, educational interest, and supervision youth receive from their parents. Tables, notes, references