Further research into understanding the relationship between the individual, their attitudes, gang membership, and desistance from crime

Most youth gang interventions work on the premise that membership is a causal factor in criminal recidivism, and that when an individual leaves a gang they will desist from crime.

This presentation will use different research methods to explore the relationship between young people and gangs. Firstly, it will summarise research into the offending frequencies for current, prior and non-gang affiliated offenders by using longitudinal data from the US Pathways to Desistence Study. This found that although gang leavers continued to offend, they had significantly different attitudes and scored lower on negative psychological traits than those who remained. Second, it will consider how young people view themselves by a narrative analysis of at risk young people taking part in a UK gang intervention. The findings suggest that future interventions should consider broader social and psychological risks, rather than gang membership per se, to assess an individual’s risk of recidivism. This session will help those who work with youth gang members to identify those individuals who would be more open to attitudinal changes, including respect for the law, within programmes.