U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Delinquent Gangs and Adolescent Victimization Revisited: A Propensity Score Matching Approach

NCJ Number
227923
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 36 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2009 Pages: 808-823
Author(s)
Matt Delisi; J. C. Barnes; Kevin M. Beaver; Chris L. Gibson
Date Published
August 2009
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study employed propensity score matching to evaluate the effects of gang membership on victimization using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
Abstract
Supporting the selection model, results of the study found that the most antisocial youths and those with more delinquency victimization were more likely to join gangs. In support of the enhancement model, results indicate that after controlling for selection effects using propensity score matching (PSM), gang membership maintained a significant predictive relationship with victimization measured contemporaneously and longitudinally. Membership in a gang increases youths' chances of being victimized above and beyond personal characteristics, and the deleterious gang effect does not weaken over time. One of the most robust correlates of juvenile delinquency and victimization is involvement in gangs. Adolescents in delinquent gangs are at risk for multiple forms of antisocial behavior and related negative outcomes, including victimization. This study used PSM to evaluate the effects of gang membership on victimization at two points using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health; a longitudinal and nationally representative sample of American youth. Tables, figures, appendix, and references