TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations between Long-Term Gang Membership and Informal Social Control Processes, Drug Use, and Delinquent Behavior among Mexican American Youth
AU - Cepeda, Alice
AU - Saint Onge, Jarron M.
AU - Nowotny, Kathryn M.
AU - Valdez, Avelardo
N1 - Funding Information:
For this study was provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse Grants R01 DA08604 and R01 DA023857; the NIDA had no further role in study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. Additional support was provided to Kathryn M. Nowotny by the Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute on Hispanic Drug Abuse (NIDA R25DA026401) and the CU Population Center (NICHD R24HD066613).
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - Research has found that among juveniles weak ties to informal social control entities such as parents, school, and conventional peers increase the probability of the initiation and continuation of deviant behaviors such as drug use and crime. Given the weak ties of formal social control mechanisms in highly disadvantaged communities, informal social control mechanisms are often an important deterrent that reduce or moderate engagement in deviant behaviors among serious and persistent offenders. This analysis examines the association between long-term gang membership and adolescent informal social control processes, drug use, and delinquency. This research is based on data from a study of 160 Mexican American male gang members between the ages of 16 and 20. Findings suggest that among gang members in this context, commonly studied informal control mechanisms such as the family and schools do not function to deter long-term gang membership that is associated with serious criminal and violent behavior and drug use. The implications for future research on desistance or continuation of antisocial behavior across the life course are discussed.
AB - Research has found that among juveniles weak ties to informal social control entities such as parents, school, and conventional peers increase the probability of the initiation and continuation of deviant behaviors such as drug use and crime. Given the weak ties of formal social control mechanisms in highly disadvantaged communities, informal social control mechanisms are often an important deterrent that reduce or moderate engagement in deviant behaviors among serious and persistent offenders. This analysis examines the association between long-term gang membership and adolescent informal social control processes, drug use, and delinquency. This research is based on data from a study of 160 Mexican American male gang members between the ages of 16 and 20. Findings suggest that among gang members in this context, commonly studied informal control mechanisms such as the family and schools do not function to deter long-term gang membership that is associated with serious criminal and violent behavior and drug use. The implications for future research on desistance or continuation of antisocial behavior across the life course are discussed.
KW - deviant behaviors
KW - drugs
KW - gangs
KW - informal social control
KW - juvenile delinquency
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84983353768&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84983353768&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0306624X15584985
DO - 10.1177/0306624X15584985
M3 - Article
C2 - 25979430
AN - SCOPUS:84983353768
VL - 60
SP - 1532
EP - 1548
JO - International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
JF - International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
SN - 0306-624X
IS - 13
ER -