Causation of Female Gang Involvement

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Many years of research have gone into studying why youth turns to gang involvement. A sector of this population has only recently been a focus of any study at all and that is the female. From the authors De La Rue, Espelage research they estimate that female gang membership is anywhere from 10 to 35% of the total gang population (De La Rue, Espelage 2014 pg. 1). There are many pieces that drive females to join the gang lifestyle. There are three major causes that drive females to gang involvement; family influences, relationship drives, and prior victimization. Being born into the gang life proves that nature verses nurture and the family has an impact on what an individual will become. Many things run in families from illnesses, addictions, business and passions. Some amazing things are shared by families, but unfortunately many bad traits are shared from family member to family member. In the article "Family and Abuse Characteristics of Gang-Involved, Pressured-To-Join, and Non–Gang-Involved Girls" by De La Rue, Espelage: “…found that girls who had brothers, cousins, or other family members who were involved with gangs were more likely to join a gang” (qtd. in De La Rue, Espelage 2014 pg.3). This is because families give females their view of the world and odds are that they will end up in one way or another like the people who raised them. A quote from the same article by the authors De La Rue, Espelage shows that : “Overall, female adolescent delinquency and antisocial behaviors are predicted by a cumulative risk model that includes family dysfunction, maltreatment history … and a history of physical and/or sexual abuse (qtd. in De La Rue, Espelage 2014 pg. 2). The effects of family members has a lifelong effect on what ... ... middle of paper ... ...American Urban Community." Journal of Contingencies & Crisis Management 17.4 (2009): 274-284. Business Source Complete. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. Florian-Lacy, Dorothy, Joseph L. Jefferson, and Jacqueline Fleming. "The Relationship of Gang Membership to Self-Esteem, Family Relations, and Learning Disabilities." TCA Journal 30.1 (2002): 4-16. ProQuest. 26 Mar. 2014. Gover, Angela, Wesley Jennings, and Richard Tewksbury. "Adolescent Male and Female Gang Members’ Experiences with Violent Victimization, Dating Violence, And Sexual Assault." American Journal of Criminal Justice 34.1/2 (2009): 103-115. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. Lauderdale, Michael, and Michelle Burman. "Contemporary Patterns of Female Gangs in Correctional Settings." Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment 19.3 (2009): 258-280. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

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