Adolescent gang and nongang offenders: Assessment of explanatory factors and institution-to-community transitional outcomes

It has long been recognized that gangs contribute disproportionately to the overall juvenile crime rate, but because the variables that predict gang-related outcomes are poorly understood, there currently exists no theory to guide the development of school, community, and institutionally based gang-response strategies. The purpose of this study was to (a) identify the personal, family, and environmental characteristics that differentiate incarcerated gang and nongang delinquents; (b) clarify the relationship between disability status and gang membership; and (c) build predictive models that contribute to the development of theory and more effective approaches to gang intervention.; Secondary analysis of data from the Transition Research on Adjudicated Youth in Community Settings (TRACS) project was conducted to address these objectives. The TRACS project was a 5-year prospective study of adjudicated adolescents remanded to the Oregon Youth Authority, funded by the federal Office of Special Education Programs, and conducted at the University of Oregon between October 1993 and December 1999.; First, logistic regression analysis was conducted to build a model that identified variables that predicted gang membership. These variables included (a) non-White ethnicity, (b) a diagnosis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, (c) early age at first adjudication, and (d) having children. A numerical estimate of the probability of gang membership was then computed for youth who possess those variables. Next, a logistic regression model was built that identified variables that predicted gang member rearrest and return to the institution following parole. These variables included (a) lack of social engagement following release from custody, (b) having a special education disability, (c) a nonsupportive living situation, (d) little or no pressure to succeed, and (e) having children. A numerical estimate of the probability of return to the institution for gang members possessing those variables was then computed.; This study identified variables across a range of psychosocial measures that were predictive of particular outcomes for at-risk and gang-involved youth. The results are relevant to personnel within schools, community service agencies, and juvenile corrections institutions, and contribute to the development of theory and practice.