Gang Involvement - Subject Follow-up
This measure appears in the following time-points: Follow06, Follow12, Follow18, Follow24, Follow30, Follow36, Follow48, Follow60, Follow72, Follow84.
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Related Construct
Description of Measure
This measure includes a series of questions that assess the youth's gang involvement during the recall period. The questions are taken mainly from Thornberry, Lizotte, Krohn, Farnworth, and Jang, (1994) and Elliott (1990). If gang involvement is endorsed, additional items explore the youth's subjective experience of the gang (i.e. youth's position in the gang, the importance of the gang to the youth) and the cohesiveness of the gang (i.e. presence of identifying colors, rules of socialization).
We create a marker to indicate being involved in a gang during the recall period [S#GNGINV]; Gang Involvement.
The following individual items are also available:
- Still a member of the gang from the last interview [S#Gang_Ogng1]
- Unique ID associated with the gang from the last interview [S#Gang_LastGang_Code]
- Recall period month (s#m#) subject left the gang from the last interview [S#Gang_LastGang_WhenLeft]
- Join a gang during this recall period [S#Gang_Ngng1]
- Unique ID associated with the gang that is the focus of all follow-up items [S#Gang_Current_Code]
- How many members in gang (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang5]
- Age oldest member of gang (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang6]
- Have any colors (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang7]
- Have any rules (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang8]
- Share money (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang9]
- Share drugs (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang10]
- Have punishments breaking rules (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang11]
- How often contact (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang12]
- Still member new gang (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_GngNow]
- Recall period month (s#m#) subject left the current gang (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Current_WhenLeft]
- Position in the gang (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang13]
- How important to you (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang16]
- How many friends not members (associated with gang from current_code) [S#Gang_Gang17]
The Resistance to Peer Influence measure contains additional items regarding the subject's peers. Refer to "Psychological Development" construct for more information about the peer influence measure.
Data Issues
- In order to protect the confidential nature of the subject responses, the specific gang names have been converted to a unique number. In instances where the same gang name appears in both sites (e.g., Bloods), the same unique number is assigned to the gang, with PA codes ending with a 1, and AZ codes ending with a 2 to distinguish the sites.
- Two separate questions establish the subject's involvement in a gang during the recall period.
- S#Gang_Ogng1 (still a member of the previous gang): If the subject was a member of a gang during the previous interview, then the name of that gang is pulled forward into the current interview and they receive this question. If an interview was missed, however, this rule wasn't always followed. For example, in follow06 they're in a gang, follow12 is missed, and in follow18 they may not have received Ogng1 because the name from the last interview isn't pulled forward. In these situations, the interview did not recognize that the subject was previously in a gang, and Ogng1 was not asked.
- S#Gang_Ngng1 (join a gang in this recall period): This is only asked if the subject was in a gang in the last interview but is no longer a member (Ogng1 = No), or if they were not in a gang in the last interview (Ogng1 = blank).
- The computed summary variable (s#gnginv - involved in a gang during the recall period) combines Ogng1 and Ngng1 and is a marker for being involved in any gang at any point during the recall period.
- Items s#gang_gang5 through s#gang_gang11 are only asked if the subject joined a new gang in the recall period (Ngng1 = YES).
- Items s#gang_gang12 through s#gang_gang17 are asked for both if still a member of the previous gang (Ogng1 = YES) or if they joined one during the recall period (Ngng1 = YES).
- Two variables hold the unique identifier.
- S#Gang_LastGang_Code: If the subject belonged to a gang during the last interview, they are asked if they are still a member of that gang. If they are no longer a member (S#Gang_Ogng1 = NO), this variable will hold the unique ID for the gang from the last interview. Otherwise, this variable will be blank.
- S#Gang_Current_Code: This variable holds the ID for the gang that is the focus of follow-up questions regarding their experiences with the gang during the recall period (e.g., position, colors, rules, etc.). This variable will have a code if 1) the subject belonged to a gang in the last recall period and is still a member of that gang (Ogng1 = YES; in which case, this gang ID will be the same as the ID from the previous interview); 2) the subject belonged to a gang in the last recall period and is no longer a member of that gang, but they have joined a different gang during the current recall period (Ogng1 = NO and Ngng1 = YES); or 3) the subject did not belong to a gang during the last interview but did join one during the current recall period (Ogng1 = blank and Ngng1 = YES).
- Similarly, two variables are available that indicate when the subject has left a gang. The subject is asked to provide the date on which they've left the gang. We've taken this date and plotted it to a recall period month number (s#m#) for each variable.
- S#Gang_LastGang_WhenLeft: If the subject belonged to a gang during the last interview, and indicate in the current interview that they are no longer a member (Ogng1 = NO), this will have a value. Otherwise, it will be blank.
- S#Gang_Current_WhenLeft: This will have a value when the subject joined a new gang since the last interview (Ngng1 = YES) but indicate they left that gang during the recall period (GngNow = NO).
References
- Thornberry, T.P., Lizotte, A.J., Krohn, M.D., Farnworth, M. & Jang, S.J. (1994). Delinquent peers, beliefs, and delinquent behavior: A longitudinal test of interactional theory. Criminology, 32: 47-83.
- Esbensen, F.A. and Huizinga, D. (1993). Gangs, Drugs, and Delinquency in a Survey of Urban Youth. Criminology, 31(4): 565-89.