| The primary purpose of this study was to understand the extent to which familial support and familial conflict are linked to adolescent behavior, specifically gang member peer group self identification and academic commitment. The secondary purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between adolescent gang member self-identification and their academic commitment. A total of 91 delinquent adolescents, 13 to 18 years of age, were recruited from four probation camps located in the Los Angeles area between February and July 2006. The survey contained several background variables including: age, gender, ethnicity, one or two parent living status, people living in the household (proxy for socio-economic status), substance abuse history, and adolescent peer influence. This study employed social support theory which included the emotional, and appraisal support constructs. Cross-sectional, quantitative analyses with secondary data collected from the Adolescent Substance Abuse and HIV Prevention (SUHIP) pilot program were performed to assess the relationships of familial support and familial conflict with adolescent gang member self-identification and academic commitment. The results demonstrated an inverse relationship between familial conflict and adolescents' academic commitment. Furthermore, gang member self-identification was not associated with academic commitment. Familial support was found non-significant in regards to adolescents' gang member self-identification and their academic commitment. The findings emphasized the importance of relationships between family members and adolescents in regards to strong academic involvement, which may, in the long run, help them abstain from many antisocial activities including gang member affiliation. |
