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David C. Pyrooz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Head injury in prison: Gang Membership and the role of prison violence
Journal of Criminal Justice, 2020Co-Authors: Chantal Fahmy, David C. Pyrooz, Dylan B. Jackson, Scott H. DeckerAbstract:Abstract Purpose Serious head injuries, also known as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), are associated with an increase in aggression and violent tendencies. The current study extends the literature on head injuries by examining whether Gang Membership is associated with an elevated risk of head injury in prison, and the extent to which this relationship is mediated by different forms of prison violence. Methods We use data from the LoneStar Project, a representative sample of 802 men imprisoned in Texas. We assess the Gang Membership-head injury link using logistic regression and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) mediation. Results Prison Gang members were >2.5 times as likely to report a head injury in prison compared to non-Gang members (OR = 2.593; 95% CI = 1.220–5.509), net of controls. KHB mediation analyses reveal that violent misconduct and violent victimization collectively reduced the magnitude of the relationship between Gang Membership and in-prison head injury by 34.84%. Conclusions Prison Gang members have a higher risk of head injury in prison, which we demonstrate is largely a function of their increased involvement in prison violence. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions should be used to lessen the negative repercussions from head injury and would be beneficial for reentry preparation.
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CONSEQUENCES OF INCARCERATION FOR Gang Membership: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF SERIOUS OFFENDERS IN PHILADELPHIA AND PHOENIX*
Criminology, 2017Co-Authors: David C. Pyrooz, Nancy R. Gartner, Molly SmithAbstract:Gang members are overrepresented among incarcerated populations in the United States. The link between incarceration and Gang Membership is beyond dispute, but serious questions remain about the causal mechanisms underlying this relationship. In this study, we develop and test theoretical models—origination, manifestation, and intensification—that focus on whether Gang Membership is exogenous or endogenous to incarceration. We used 7 years of monthly life calendar data nested within an 11-wave longitudinal study of 1,336 serious offenders in Philadelphia and Phoenix to examine the effects of incarceration on Gang Membership. Multilevel models indicated that offenders were more likely to be in Gangs while incarcerated in jail and prison settings than when not, although longer spells of incarceration corresponded with prolonged Gang Membership only in Phoenix. Incarceration in juvenile facilities maintained adverse between- and within-individual effects on Gang Membership only in Phoenix. Additional descriptive findings revealed that Gang status was durable to transitions into and out of incarcerated settings, and that more offenders exited than entered Gangs while incarcerated. We situate these findings within our theoretical models and the body of knowledge on incarceration, concluding with a call for future research that is focused on the symbiosis between Gangs in street and incarcerated settings.
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Uncovering the Pathways Between Gang Membership and Violent Victimization
Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 2016Co-Authors: David C. PyroozAbstract:Objectives Gang members are more likely to be victimized violently than non-Gang youth, but the extent to which this relationship is confounded, direct, or mediated remains unclear. This study responds to recent calls by scholars for more methodologically sound research in this area with the goal of uncovering the pathways between Gang Membership and violent victimization. Methods Using a school-based longitudinal sample of adolescents, the current study uses Preacher and Hayes multiple mediator structural equation modeling and counterfactual methodology to test whether and which theoretical pathways—self-control, cultural orientations, routine activity, and lifestyle theory—mediate the contemporaneous and prospective effects of Gang Membership on violent victimization. Results The results indicate that 27 % of the contemporaneous effects of Gang Membership on victimization is attributable to selection, with the remaining 73 % endogenous to Gang Membership, supporting Thornberry et al.’s (J Res Crime Delinquency 30:55–87, 1993 ) enhancement model. Entry into a Gang increases risk taking, temper, self-centeredness, negative peer commitment, neutralization of violence, aggressive conflict resolution, unstructured socializing, and delinquency, and decreases empathy and positive peer commitment. The contemporaneous Gang Membership-victimization link was fully mediated, due almost entirely to delinquency. Prospective models reveal a Gang Membership-victimization link that is fully confounded by selection, although attrition and desistance from Gangs may be responsible for this finding. Conclusions The existing risky attitudes and behaviors of youth who select into Gangs matters a great deal for understanding the Gang Membership-victimization link, but these very risks are exacerbated upon entry into a Gang. Our mediation findings suggest that interventions targeting highly delinquent Gang members should pay dual dividends of reducing delinquency and victimization.
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Uncovering the Pathways Between Gang Membership and Violent Victimization
Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 2015Co-Authors: David C. PyroozAbstract:Objectives Gang members are more likely to be victimized violently than non-Gang youth, but the extent to which this relationship is confounded, direct, or mediated remains unclear. This study responds to recent calls by scholars for more methodologically sound research in this area with the goal of uncovering the pathways between Gang Membership and violent victimization.
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Taking Stock of the Relationship Between Gang Membership and Offending: A Meta-Analysis
Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2015Co-Authors: David C. Pyrooz, Jillian J. Turanovic, Scott H. DeckerAbstract:This study takes stock of empirical research examining the relationship between Gang Membership and offending by subjecting this large body of work to a meta-analysis. Multilevel modeling is used t...
Scott H. Decker - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Head injury in prison: Gang Membership and the role of prison violence
Journal of Criminal Justice, 2020Co-Authors: Chantal Fahmy, David C. Pyrooz, Dylan B. Jackson, Scott H. DeckerAbstract:Abstract Purpose Serious head injuries, also known as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), are associated with an increase in aggression and violent tendencies. The current study extends the literature on head injuries by examining whether Gang Membership is associated with an elevated risk of head injury in prison, and the extent to which this relationship is mediated by different forms of prison violence. Methods We use data from the LoneStar Project, a representative sample of 802 men imprisoned in Texas. We assess the Gang Membership-head injury link using logistic regression and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) mediation. Results Prison Gang members were >2.5 times as likely to report a head injury in prison compared to non-Gang members (OR = 2.593; 95% CI = 1.220–5.509), net of controls. KHB mediation analyses reveal that violent misconduct and violent victimization collectively reduced the magnitude of the relationship between Gang Membership and in-prison head injury by 34.84%. Conclusions Prison Gang members have a higher risk of head injury in prison, which we demonstrate is largely a function of their increased involvement in prison violence. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions should be used to lessen the negative repercussions from head injury and would be beneficial for reentry preparation.
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Taking Stock of the Relationship Between Gang Membership and Offending: A Meta-Analysis
Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2015Co-Authors: David C. Pyrooz, Jillian J. Turanovic, Scott H. DeckerAbstract:This study takes stock of empirical research examining the relationship between Gang Membership and offending by subjecting this large body of work to a meta-analysis. Multilevel modeling is used t...
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the contribution of Gang Membership to the victim offender overlap
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 2014Co-Authors: David C. Pyrooz, Richard K. Moule, Scott H. DeckerAbstract:Objective: Although a vast literature has investigated the consequences of Gang Membership for offending and victimization, little is known about the contribution of Gang Membership to the victim–offender overlap. We advance a group process theoretical model and provide an empirical extension of the victim–offender overlap to Gang Membership.Method: Using data gathered from 621 respondents in five cities, the contribution of Gang Membership to the victim–offender overlap is determined by examining (1) a typology of four victim–offender arrangements using multinomial logistic regression modeling and (2) the latent propensity for violent offending and victimization using multilevel item response theory modeling.Results: Gang members were over twice as likely as nonGang members to be both victims and offenders, even after adjusting for low self-control, adherence to street codes, and routine activities. Neither contemporary theoretical perspectives on the overlap nor the reciprocal relationship between viole...
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The Contribution of Gang Membership to the Victim–Offender Overlap
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 2013Co-Authors: David C. Pyrooz, Richard K. Moule, Scott H. DeckerAbstract:Objective: Although a vast literature has investigated the consequences of Gang Membership for offending and victimization, little is known about the contribution of Gang Membership to the victim–offender overlap. We advance a group process theoretical model and provide an empirical extension of the victim–offender overlap to Gang Membership.Method: Using data gathered from 621 respondents in five cities, the contribution of Gang Membership to the victim–offender overlap is determined by examining (1) a typology of four victim–offender arrangements using multinomial logistic regression modeling and (2) the latent propensity for violent offending and victimization using multilevel item response theory modeling.Results: Gang members were over twice as likely as nonGang members to be both victims and offenders, even after adjusting for low self-control, adherence to street codes, and routine activities. Neither contemporary theoretical perspectives on the overlap nor the reciprocal relationship between viole...
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Racial and Ethnic Heterogeneity, Economic Disadvantage, and Gangs: A Macro‐Level Study of Gang Membership in Urban America
Justice Quarterly, 2010Co-Authors: David C. Pyrooz, Andrew Fox, Scott H. DeckerAbstract:There is a lack of macro‐level Gang research. The present study addresses this shortcoming by providing a theoretically informed analysis of Gang Membership in large US cities. More specifically, our goal is to determine whether racial and ethnic heterogeneity conditions the relationship between economic disadvantage and Gang Membership. Three separate sources of data are used in this study: U.S. Census 2000, Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Services 2000, and National Youth Gang Survey 2002–2006. A series of weighted least‐squares regression models are estimated, finding that both economic disadvantage and racial and ethnic heterogeneity exhibit independent and additive effects on Gang Membership. In addition, the results show that racial and ethnic heterogeneity has a conditioning relationship with economic disadvantage. Furthermore, our expanded operationalization of the Blau heterogeneity measure indicates that prior research may have underestimated the effects of heterogeneity. The autho...
Finn-aage Esbensen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Gang Membership and substance use: guilt as a gendered causal pathway
Journal of experimental criminology, 2014Co-Authors: Donna L. Coffman, Chris Melde, Finn-aage EsbensenAbstract:Objectives We examine whether anticipated guilt for substance use is a gendered mechanism underlying the noted enhancement effect of Gang Membership on illegal drug use. We also demonstrate a method for making stronger causal inferences when assessing mediation in the presence of moderation and time-varying confounding.
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Gangs and Violence: Disentangling the Impact of Gang Membership on the Level and Nature of Offending
Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 2013Co-Authors: Chris Melde, Finn-aage EsbensenAbstract:Objectives To determine whether Membership in youth Gangs provides a unique social forum for violence amplification. This study examines whether Gang Membership increases the odds of violent offending over and above involvement in general delinquent and criminal behavior. Methods Five waves of data from a multi-site (seven cities) panel study of over 3,700 youth originally nested within 31 schools are analyzed. We estimate four level repeated measures item response theory models, which include a parameter to differentiate the difference in the log of the expected event-rate for violent offense items to the log of the expected event-rate for nonviolent offense items. Results Depending on the comparison group (Gang youth, overall sample), periods of active Gang Membership were associated with a 10 or 21% increase in the odds of involvement in violent incidents. When the sample is restricted to youth who report Gang Membership during the study, the proportionate increase in the odds of violence associated with Gangs is statistically similar for males and females. After youth reported leaving the Gang their propensity for violence was not significantly different than comparison group observations, although levels of general offending remain elevated. Conclusions While results are limited by the school-based sampling strategy, the importance of Gang prevention and intervention programming for violence reduction is highlighted. Preventing youth from Gang Membership or shortening the length of Gang careers through interventions may reduce absolute levels of violence.
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Gangs and Violence: Disentangling the Impact of Gang Membership on the Level and Nature of Offending
Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 2012Co-Authors: Chris Melde, Finn-aage EsbensenAbstract:Objectives To determine whether Membership in youth Gangs provides a unique social forum for violence amplification. This study examines whether Gang Membership increases the odds of violent offending over and above involvement in general delinquent and criminal behavior. Methods Five waves of data from a multi-site (seven cities) panel study of over 3,700 youth originally nested within 31 schools are analyzed. We estimate four level repeated measures item response theory models, which include a parameter to differentiate the difference in the log of the expected event-rate for violent offense items to the log of the expected event-rate for nonviolent offense items. Results Depending on the comparison group (Gang youth, overall sample), periods of active Gang Membership were associated with a 10 or 21% increase in the odds of involvement in violent incidents. When the sample is restricted to youth who report Gang Membership during the study, the proportionate increase in the odds of violence associated with Gangs is statistically similar for males and females. After youth reported leaving the Gang their propensity for violence was not significantly different than comparison group observations, although levels of general offending remain elevated. Conclusions While results are limited by the school-based sampling strategy, the importance of Gang prevention and intervention programming for violence reduction is highlighted. Preventing youth from Gang Membership or shortening the length of Gang careers through interventions may reduce absolute levels of violence. Language: en
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The Onset of (Euro)Gang Membership as a Turning Point in the Life Course
Youth Gangs in International Perspective, 2011Co-Authors: Chris Melde, Finn-aage EsbensenAbstract:Even though Gang-involved youth are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime, the processes accounting for this enhanced illegal activity are speculative. Employing a life-course perspective, we conceptualize the onset of Gang Membership as a turning point in the lives of youth. As such, we examine the association between onset of Gang Membership and changes in emotions, attitudes, and routine activities typically associated with delinquent behavior. Using prospective data from a multisite sample of over 1,400 youth, findings suggest that the onset of Gang Membership is associated with a substantial change in emotions, attitudes, routine activities, and delinquent behavior, consistent with the turning point framework.
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Gang Membership AS A TURNING POINT IN THE LIFE COURSE
Criminology, 2011Co-Authors: Chris Melde, Finn-aage EsbensenAbstract:Gang-involved youth are disproportionately involved in criminal behavior, especially violence. The processes accounting for this enhanced illegal activity, however, remain speculative. Employing a life-course perspective, we propose that Gang Membership can be conceptualized as a turning point in the lives of youth and is thus associated with changes in emotions, attitudes, and routine activities, which, in turn, increase illegal activity. Using prospective data from a multisite sample of more than 1,400 youth, the findings suggest that the onset of Gang Membership is associated with a substantial change in emotions, attitudes, and social controls conducive to delinquency and partially mediate the impact of Gang Membership on delinquent activity. Desistance from Gangs, however, was not associated with similar systematic changes in these constructs, including delinquent involvement.
Chris Melde - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Bad Medicine The Relationship Between Gang Membership, Depression, Self-Esteem, and Suicidal Behavior
Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2016Co-Authors: Adam M. Watkins, Chris MeldeAbstract:Research on the risk factors associated with Gang joining suggests that the best predictor of Gang Membership is the accumulation of risk factors across a number of domains. These same risk factors are also associated with poor mental health and suicide, suggesting that Gang members may be at risk for these outcomes. The current study utilized a nationally representative sample to examine two related issues. First, do youth who later become Gang involved report levels of self-esteem, depression, suicidal thoughts, and attempted suicide that are substantively different than the general population? Second, how does Gang Membership affect these indicators of mental health? Results suggest that youth who become Gang involved have significantly higher levels of depression and report a substantively higher rate of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than comparison youth. Furthermore, Membership in Gangs exacerbates these underlying problems, creating higher levels of depression and a higher prevalence of suicidal thoughts and actions. Language: en
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Gang Membership and substance use: guilt as a gendered causal pathway
Journal of experimental criminology, 2014Co-Authors: Donna L. Coffman, Chris Melde, Finn-aage EsbensenAbstract:Objectives We examine whether anticipated guilt for substance use is a gendered mechanism underlying the noted enhancement effect of Gang Membership on illegal drug use. We also demonstrate a method for making stronger causal inferences when assessing mediation in the presence of moderation and time-varying confounding.
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22 Gang Membership in Developmental Perspective
The Development of Criminal and Antisocial Behavior, 2014Co-Authors: Chris MeldeAbstract:This review provides an opportunity to assess the current state of knowledge on Gang Membership in developmental perspective and suggest directions for future research in this area. There has been a proliferation in the number of panel data sources including Gang members and nonGang involved youth since the early 1990s, which has allowed for a more thorough understanding of the causes and consequences of Gang Membership. This review draws heavily upon these more recent developments and explicates what these studies have revealed about the implications of Gang Membership in human development. By and large, developmental and life course researchers have not focused on the role of Gang Membership in human development, and thus much is still to be learned in this area. Further theoretical and empirical research on the implications of Gang Membership in longitudinal perspective is necessary.
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Gangs and Violence: Disentangling the Impact of Gang Membership on the Level and Nature of Offending
Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 2013Co-Authors: Chris Melde, Finn-aage EsbensenAbstract:Objectives To determine whether Membership in youth Gangs provides a unique social forum for violence amplification. This study examines whether Gang Membership increases the odds of violent offending over and above involvement in general delinquent and criminal behavior. Methods Five waves of data from a multi-site (seven cities) panel study of over 3,700 youth originally nested within 31 schools are analyzed. We estimate four level repeated measures item response theory models, which include a parameter to differentiate the difference in the log of the expected event-rate for violent offense items to the log of the expected event-rate for nonviolent offense items. Results Depending on the comparison group (Gang youth, overall sample), periods of active Gang Membership were associated with a 10 or 21% increase in the odds of involvement in violent incidents. When the sample is restricted to youth who report Gang Membership during the study, the proportionate increase in the odds of violence associated with Gangs is statistically similar for males and females. After youth reported leaving the Gang their propensity for violence was not significantly different than comparison group observations, although levels of general offending remain elevated. Conclusions While results are limited by the school-based sampling strategy, the importance of Gang prevention and intervention programming for violence reduction is highlighted. Preventing youth from Gang Membership or shortening the length of Gang careers through interventions may reduce absolute levels of violence.
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Identifying Correlates of Stable Gang Membership
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 2012Co-Authors: Chris Melde, Chelsea Diem, Gregory DrakeAbstract:Extant research suggests that Gang Membership is a relatively brief experience for youth who get involved with such groups. The length of Gang Membership, however, has been found to increase the pr...
Terrance J. Taylor - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Youth Violence: Sex and Race Differences in Offending, Victimization, and Gang Membership
2010Co-Authors: Finn-aage Esbensen, Dana Peterson, Terrance J. Taylor, Adrienne FrengAbstract:List of Figures and Tables Preface 1. Introduction PART I: Understanding Youth Violence 2. Conceptual Framework 3. Research Design and Methodological Issues PART II: Types of Youth Violence 4. Youth Violence 5. Gang Membership 6. Violent Victimization 7. The Co-occurrence of Violence and the Cumulative Effect of Multiple Risk Factors PART III: Understanding and Responding to Youth Violence 8. Putting It All Together: A Theoretical Framework 9. Responding to Youth Violence Appendix: Demographic and Risk Factor Measures References Index
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Similarities and Differences in Risk Factors for Violent Offending and Gang Membership
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 2009Co-Authors: Finn-aage Esbensen, Dana Peterson, Terrance J. Taylor, Adrienne FrengAbstract:Prior research has established that there is a cumulative effect of risk factors on both youth violence and Gang Membership and that risk factors in multiple domains increase the probability of youth violence and Gang involvement. In this article we expand upon this risk factor approach to the study of youth violence by addressing two questions concerning youth violence: (1) What are the effects of cumulative risk, including risk in multiple domains, on youth violence and Gang Membership and to what extent are the patterns similar or different for youth violence and Gang Membership? (2) To what extent do risk factors exert independent effects when other factors are controlled in multivariate analyses, and are the risk factors for youth violence similar to or different from those for Gang Membership? We utilise survey data from a sample of 5,395 8th grade students in 11 cities across the United States to examine these issues.
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The Boulevard Ain't Safe for Your Kids . . .1: Youth Gang Membership and Violent Victimization
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 2008Co-Authors: Terrance J. TaylorAbstract:Youth Gang Membership has been linked to a variety of social ailments: delinquency, stigma, and, more recently, violent victimization. This essay examines the research on youth Gang Membership and violent victimization. Three main questions are examined: (a) What is known about the linkages between Gang Membership and violent victimization? (b) What use does this knowledge provide for prevention and intervention efforts? (c) Where do we go from here? In other words, what do we not know about the Gang Membership—violent victimization link?
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Gang Membership as a Risk Factor for Adolescent Violent Victimization
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 2007Co-Authors: Terrance J. Taylor, Finn-aage Esbensen, Dana Peterson, Adrienne FrengAbstract:Youth Gangs and violence have received substantial scholarly and public attention during the past two decades. While most of the extant research on youth Gang members has focused on their offending behaviors, few quantitative studies have been conducted to examine the link between Gang Membership and violent victimization. The current study uses data from a multi-site study of youth to explore potential factors related to this increased risk. These findings suggest that Gang members are more likely to experience violent victimization, as well as greater frequency of victimization, than do non-Gang members. Furthermore, Gang Membership remains a significant correlate of the annual prevalence of victimization net other individual, family, peer, school, and situational factors. The relationship, however, is complex and dependent upon the type of victimization examined.
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Gang Membership and violent victimization
Justice Quarterly, 2004Co-Authors: Dana Peterson, Terrance J. Taylor, Finn-aage EsbensenAbstract:Extant Gang research supports an enhancement effect of Membership on delinquency; that is, while delinquent youths may be attracted to Gangs, it is also true that Gang Membership increases delinquency among youths and that while delinquency levels decrease after Gang Membership, they do not decrease to nonGang levels. In this paper, we build on this research, examining the relationship between youth Gang Membership and violent victimization in a general sample of adolescents. We find that Gang member victimization rates are higher than nonGang member rates, not only during Membership, but before and after as well. Thus an enhancement model of Gang Membership appears to best fit both offending and victimization rates. This effect of Gang affiliation on victimization goes beyond Gang members' involvement in violent offending; violence and Gang status equate with cumulative disadvantage in terms of violent victimization. Additionally, contrary to Gang youths' perceptions, Gangs appear to offer no protective ...
