Race Differences in Motivations for Gang Desistance: A Mixed-Methods Approach

• In Event: Understanding the Complex World of Gangs (Eurogang Panel)

Abstract

A growing body of qualitative and quantitative research has categorized motivations for leaving the gang as pushes and pulls away from gang life. Researchers, however, know less about differential impact of race and ethnicity on these motivations. Much of this prior work relies on one methodology and limited samples of black and Hispanic youth. This reliance on a single methodological approach may provide a biased assessment of motivations for desistance in that some mixed methods research has reported differences in desistance motivation based upon method (i.e., prevalence of violence fatigue versus disillusionment). This presentation will begin to fill this gap in the literature by using a mixed-method approach to examine variation in motivations for desistance across multiple racial/ethnic categories. I would suggest providing some description of the sample.

Author

• Dena C. Carson, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis