Juvenile Gang Involvement in the Central Valley of California: Its Initiation, Continuation, and Desistance

• In Event: Juvenile Gangs in America, Europe, and the Caribbean: Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Abstract

In spite of increased concerns about juvenile gang involvement in California’s Central Valley in recent years, there have been no systemic studies designed to examine juvenile gang involvement in the region. In an effort to improve understanding of juvenile gang problems in California’s Central Valley, the study endeavors to explore a theoretical framework of juvenile gang involvement by examining its initiation, continuation, and desistance, as well as its related social and legal consequences. The current study is exploratory in its nature, and qualitative methods were employed to guide sampling, data collection, and analytical process. A total of over 90 juveniles were interviewed at the local juvenile halls from 2013 to 2016. The findings suggest that juvenile gang involvement is a socialization process, in which changing social contexts in the region have shaped this process in very significant ways.

Author

• Huan Gao, California State University, Stanislaus