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Sex differences and the overlap in youths' risk factors for onset of violence and gang involvement

Risk factors for general delinquency have been examined in numerous studies, but fewer studies have sought to identify factors specifically related to youth violence and an even smaller number of studies have focused upon youths' gang involvement or comparing patterns by sex. Comparison of findings from studies of violence risk factors to studies of gang risk factors suggests that a number of the same factors underlie both, but the extent of overlap has not often been examined in the same study. If the two behaviors share a common set of factors, more general prevention efforts may prove fruitful in reducing youths' involvement in both behaviors, while more specific programs or components may be necessary if more unique than shared predictors are found. In this study, we therefore examine the extent to which youths' early-adolescent onset of involvement in gangs and in violent behavior are related to the same proximal risk factors and the extent to which risk factors for these behaviors are shared between the sexes. Consistent with prior studies, our bivariate analyses show that a large number of risk factors were predictive of youths' onset of involvement in both violence and gangs, with some factors unique to each behavior; patterns were similar by sex. These findings suggest that early-adolescence programs targeting these common factors may reduce youths' likelihood of involvement in both gangs and violence, and that some additional behavior-specific or sex-specific components may also be helpful. Given the scant research on these issues, these findings are only suggestive, and further research is required for validation.