Associations Among Self-Reported School Violence, Military Connection, and Gang Membership in Secondary Schools in California

• In Event: Creating Positive School Climates and Cultures

Abstract

It is possible that multiple moves and deployments of family service members are associated with military-connected students’ gang membership and involvement with school violence behaviors. In this study, 13,484 students completed modules of the California Healthy Kids Survey. Logistic regressions examined the odds of a student being a member of a gang given their grade, gender, school violence behaviors, military-connectedness, changes in schools, and familial deployments. Results indicate changing schools four or more times in the past 5 years and experiencing at least one familial deployment was associated with an increased likelihood of gang membership. The findings support schools in understanding characteristics of military-connected students they serve so they can implement appropriate interventions to curb gang and school violence behaviors.

Authors

• Joey Nuñez Estrada, San Diego State University

• Tamika Gilreath, University of Southern California

• Cathia Yadira Sanchez

• Ron Avi Astor, University of Southern California