ERIC Number: EJ1144262
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2192-001X
EISSN: N/A
Gang Involvement among Immigrant and Refugee Youth: A Developmental Ecological Systems Approach
Goodrum, Nada M.; Chan, Wing Yi; Latzman, Robert D.
International Journal of Developmental Science, v9 n3-4 p125-134 2015
Immigrant and refugee youth are at elevated risk for joining gangs, which, in turn, is associated with a host of maladaptive outcomes. Previous literature on risk and protective factors for immigrant and refugee youth gang involvement has been inconclusive. Applying a developmental ecological systems approach, this study investigated contextual influences on immigrant and refugee gang involvement across three ecological systems (i.e., ontogenic system, microsystem, and exosystem). Participants included 81 immigrant and refugee youth aged 12-20 years (M[subscript age] = 15.68; 54.3% female) who completed self-report questionnaires assessing gang involvement and multiple risk and protective factors. Multivariate analyses revealed that racial discrimination, negative parenting, and exposure to community violence were positively associated with gang involvement, whereas peer support was negatively related to gang involvement. Future research should examine how to mitigate risk factors from multiple ecological systems. One potential avenue is to develop alternative prosocial settings in which these youth feel supported and valued.
Descriptors: Juvenile Gangs, Immigrants, Refugees, At Risk Persons, Adolescents, Young Adults, Questionnaires, Resilience (Psychology), Multivariate Analysis, Racial Discrimination, Parenting Styles, Violence, Environmental Influences, Peer Influence, Likert Scales, Ecology, Statistical Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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