Understanding Youth Gang Involvement in Arizona – An Analysis of Arizona Youth Survey Data

• In Event: Innovations in Gang Research

Abstract

The Arizona Youth Survey (AYS), a biennial survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders across Arizona’s 15 counties, provides an understanding of the scope of substance use, risk and protective factors, and related adverse outcomes among adolescents. For the past eight administrations, questions pertaining to individual and peer-level gang involvement have been asked to better understand the extent of self-reported gang membership, while considering the geographic and demographic diversity of Arizona. Utilizing data from multiple administrations of the AYS, this presentation will use multivariate regression analyses to examine the prevalence and possible predictors of youth gang involvement, as well as the relationship between neighborhood, family, and school-level contextual factors and reported drivers of membership. This Arizona-specific examination of the correlates of youth gang membership and associated delinquent outcomes provides an opportunity for state-to-state comparisons, as well as implications for local and national prevention programming.

Authors

• Catie Clark, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission

• Carlena Orosco, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission