Adolescent women have been a part of gangs in the United States since the early 1800s, but they have been neglected in gang research. To address the shortfall, this study used structured interviews, standardized questionnaires, and collaborative records to gather information about adolescent women in a metropolitan area with an emerging gang…

This booklet provides graphs, tables, and a summary compiled from data collected in schools using the 1995-1996 PRIDE Questionnaire. The data reflect prevalence and patterns of drug and alcohol abuse, violence, gang activity, and suicide. This report is designed for educators to use within their drug abuse and violence awareness and prevention…

This booklet provides graphs, tables, and a summary compiled from data collected in schools using the 1994-1995 PRIDE Questionnaire. The data reflect prevalence and patterns of drug and alcohol abuse, violence, gang activity, and suicide. This report is designed for educators to use within their drug abuse and violence awareness and prevention…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether at-risk behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, gun ownership, sexual activity, and gang membership) are associated with violence attribution errors, as measured by Daley and Onwuegbuzie's (1995) Violence Attribution Survey, among 82 incarcerated male juvenile delinquents. Analysis revealed that the…

Studied explanations for gang membership in a population of 11,000 secondary school students. Lower self-esteem, perceived academic ability, psychosocial health, and bonds with institutions appeared to precede gang membership. Other precursors and consequences identified were also consistent with a lack of social integration. (SLD)

Investigated the relationships of gender and gang membership to latent variables of psychosocial characteristics, drug use, delinquency, weapons possession, and fear within rural and urban Colorado school districts. Surveys of 1,669 self-reported gang members and 1,742 non-gang members indicated that gender was related more strongly to the latent…

Interviews with 21 present and former female gang members illustrate the lives of Mexican American girls in the gang milieu of the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles, California). Gang structure, activities, and reasons for joining are discussed, along with the gang as a source of support. (SLD)

Examines whether physical and sexual maltreatment raises the risk of gang involvement among secondary school students. Findings show that maltreatment increases the probability of gang involvement, independent of demographic factors. When youth are physically and sexually abused their odds of gang involvement are four times higher than those who…

Focus groups and interviews with African American youth in Los Angeles and Afro-Caribbean youth in London found gangs to be one of their five top issues; identified social, educational, and employment factors fostering gang formation; and identified psychological, social, and economic functions of gangs for their members. (Contains 95 references.)…

Increasing gang membership among Mexican-American adolescents is rooted in a cultural context and reflects a desperate attempt to gain some control over barrio life marked by low employment, poverty, and discrimination. Discusses the decision-making process involved, and recommends three ways schools can reframe their views towards these students,…

This article reports on a survey of administrators, counselors, and teachers from middle schools involved in the National Evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program. This survey was part of a multisite evaluation that also elicited the responses of students, parents, and officers teaching the G.R.E.A.T. program.…

Over 500 black and 500 white boys born in 1957 and attending Philadelphia schools were interviewed along with their mothers. The data were analyzed to discover how educational aspirations, social values, quality of life, fear of crime, victimization, family structure, father-son interaction, social attachments, and gang affiliation affected the…

Describes a study which examines the relationship between a rise in juvenile crime and the school term. Concludes that adolescents act out in the community the roles they acquire in schools. Journal available from Joan Watson, Distribution Secretary, The New Era, 54 Fontarabia Road, London, SWII 5PF. (KC)

Results of a behavioral-ecological analysis used to diagnose various community behaviors contributing to Chicano gang delinquency suggested a number of feasible community-based interventions for treatment and prevention. The study also accomplished a replication and extension of similar earlier work performed in a different environment with…

Examined the relationship between public school uniforms and student self-worth and student and staff perceptions of gang presence and school climate. Surveys of middle school students and teachers indicated that although students' perceptions did not vary across uniform policy, teachers from schools with uniform policies perceived lower levels of…