Looking on the Brighter Side: Positive Correlates and Consequences of Youth Gang Involvement

• In Event: New Approaches to Understanding Youth Gangs and Gang Members

Abstract

The literature on gang involvement exceedingly focuses on problem behavior outcomes such as delinquency, substance use, and violence. Very few studies have addressed associations between mental health and gang involvement, and fewer still have acknowledged the potential for positive youth outcomes from gang involvement. This study examines aspects of mental health and positive development in relation to youth gang involvement. Data were drawn from a subset of youth (N=611) from the Consortium of Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) dataset (Runyan et al., 1998). Approximately 28% of youth were involved in gangs at some point during adolescence; about 5% reported being in a gang across two or more bi-yearly waves of assessment (stable-involved) and 23% reported being in a gang only once (transient-involved). Any degree of gang involvement predicted indicators of aggression and delinquency measured at age 18 (p<.001). Transient-involved gang youth showed elevated levels of depression and anxiety at age 18 (p =.058); this was not so for stable-involved gang youth (p = .141). This suggests that stable gang involvement might serve as a protective factor against mental health problems, despite being a risk factor for delinquency and aggression. Thus the gang network might fulfill a need for social and emotional support. Additional analyses and implications for future research on gang involvement and mental health will be presented.

Authors

• Joanna Kubik, Rutgers University

• Paul Boxer, Rutgers University