Moving Risk Factors into Developmental Theories of Gang Membership

Several quantitative longitudinal studies of youth gang members—particularly those embedded in well-designed studies of large, representative samples of children and adolescents—have expanded interest in risk factors for gang membership. Drawing on recent research findings, this article aims to review and synthesize risk factors for gang involvement and to integrate these in a theoretical explanation of youth gang membership. Research-supported risk factors from other studies are combined with variables in Thornberry et al.’s interactional theory of gang membership to form a broader developmental theory of gang involvement. Program and policy implications are also drawn.