An Examination of the Risk Factors for Gang Membership Among Jamaican Youth

• In Event: International Perspectives on Crime, Violence, and Victimization Over the Life-Course

Abstract

Jamaican scholars explanation of gang membership tend to highlight sociological antecedents while neglecting group processes and individual characteristics. While social factors are salient contributors to youth gang involvement, it does not encapsulate the multiple processes through which an individual decides to join a gang.The current study applies Thornberry's interactional theory to examine the precursors and motivation of gang membership among Jamaican youth.

Author

• Asheka N. Jackson, Simon Fraser University