Gang Membership, Head Injury, and Functional Impairment in a Longitudinal Sample of Previously Adjudicated Youth

• In Event: Neurobiological Factors for Antisocial Behaviors Among Youth Samples

Abstract

Previous research has found that individuals who engage in risky lifestyles are at an increased risk of sustaining a head injury and suffering from mental and physical functional impairment. However, little is currently known about whether gang membership is one specific type of risky lifestyle - that has received a considerable amount of attention in criminology - related to risk of sustaining a head injury and experiencing associated functional impairments over time. The current study analyzes longitudinal data from the Northwestern Juvenile Project to begin to address this gap in the existing body of research. A series of dynamic panel models are estimated to assess relations between within-individual changes in gang membership, head injury, and functional impairment from mid-adolescence to adulthood. Implications of the results for future research on the neurologic health risks associated with gang membership and need for more targeted rehabilitative approaches for at-risk youth are discussed.

Authors

• Kristina Block, Rowan University

• Eric J. Connolly, Sam Houston State University