Gang Membership and Race as Risk Factors for Juvenile Arrest

Abstract

This study addresses the link between gang membership and arrest frequency, exploring the Gang × Race interaction on those arrests. The focus on youth’s earliest point of contact with the juvenile justice system corresponds to the latest priority of the federal initiative on Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC). Using Poisson regression to analyze longitudinal data on a representative sample of U.S. teens, results support both main effects and interaction hypotheses. Gang membership, racial minority status, and their interaction each increase the risk of arrest, controlling for other demographic and legal items. Results suggest that bias against these groups is most pronounced with less serious crimes. Main effects for Black youth are stronger than for Hispanic youth, underscoring the importance of conducting tests for each minority group separately. Interactions for Black and Hispanic gang youth are equally robust, suggesting they warrant similar priority in policy initiatives to reduce DMC.

From Colors and Guns to Caps and Gowns? The Effects of Gang Membership on Educational Attainment

“…The NLSY97 definition presented to respondents to describe neighborhood/ school gangs is more restrictive than the commonly used Eurogang definition-''A street gang is any durable, street-oriented youth group whose involvement in illegal activity is part of its group identity'' (Klein and Maxson, 2006:4 disagreements in the degree to organization and crime should be incorporated into the definition of a gang (Klein and Maxson, 2006). The features used to describe gangs in the NLSY97 do not appear to unduly influence the selfnomination process, which remain consistent with Esbensen and colleagues' (2001) recommendations and these data have been used to study a range of criminological outcomes related to gangs (Bellair and McNulty 2009;Bjerk 2009;Bjerregaard 2010;Tapia 2011). 2.…”

Developmental pathways of youth gang membership: a structural test of the social development model

“…The use of self-report measures for determining gang involvement has been widely supported in the field of youth gang research (e.g., Boxer, Veysey, Ostermann, & Kubik, 2015; Bjerregaard & Smith, 1993; Dishion, Patterson, Stoolmiller, & Skinner, 2005; Esbensen, Winfree, He, & Taylor, 2001; Fox, Lane, & Akers, 2010; Klein, 1995; Tapia, 2011; Thornberry, Krohn et al, 2003). In the current study, self-reported gang membership was measured prospectively from 7 th to 10 th grade, in 12 th grade, and subsequently every three years in adulthood.…”

Experiences of Central California Latino Male Youth: Recollecting Despair and Success inBarriosand Schools

“…Second, safety can be characterized as multifaceted and inclusive of a host of indicators related to exposure to violence and neglect (e.g., rates in foster care, juvenile felony arrest, and police profiling of Latino youth; Davis et al, 2009;Rios, 2011;Sanchez & Adams, 2011;Tapia, 2011). Addressing safety (like health) also requires an understanding of socioeconomic and community factors, as well as ways in which police and school officials profile and criminalize Latino youth.…”

“…The literature on how safety issues affect Latinos, particularly those living in the barrio, has not readily addressed safety as much as what leads to Latino victimization (see Rios, 2010Rios, , 2011Sanchez & Adams, 2011;Tapia, 2011). The underlying themes on safety and victimization of Latino youth include psychological victimization and lack of physical safety, both of which (in)directly affect academic achievement (Portillos et al, 2012;Rios, 2010;Sanchez & Adams, 2011).…”