From Shooting up to Shootouts? Comparing Substance use patterns Between Gang Members and Non-gang Members

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

Previous research has established a relationship between youth substance use and gang membership, with both behaviours increasing the likelihood of the other. What remains unclear is the possibility that the use of specific substances may be more strongly associated with gang involvement and whether the substance use patterns found in gang members differ from those found in non-gang members. Drawing from a cross-sectional survey conducted among 15-year-old students in a mid-sized Canadian city, we examine if (1) certain substances group together to delineate patterns of substance use and (2) these patterns increase the likelihood of delinquent youth joining a criminal group. We used principal component analysis (PCA) and sequential logistic regression to analyze a subsample of 414 youth with a history of criminal involvement. The PCA reveals two components: a hard substance use component (crystal meth, cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, mushrooms) and a recreational substance use component (cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, ecstasy). Moreover, the sequential logistic regression model reveals that recreational substance use, being male, and self-reporting as non-White/Asian are consistently associated with criminal group involvement; however, low self-control did not have a significant association. This study highlights the important role of recreational substance use in gang membership.

Authors

• Courtney D. Robertson, Simon Fraser University

• Martin Bouchard, Simon Fraser University