| This study examines the role that being a member of a delinquent gang has an the transition from adolescence to adult roles and statuses. Panel data from early adolescense to young adulthood for the Rochester Youth Development Study, a sample of youth who were at high risk for serious delinquent behavior, are used. The results indicate that being a member of a gang in early adolescence increases the probability of teenage pregnancy and parenthood, failure to complete a high school education, and unemployment. This effect is found even after controlling for delinquency and a number of potential predictors of precocious transitions. 'Moreover, the effect is stronger for boys who have been "stable" gang members as compared to those who were in a gang for only one data collection wave. The importance of the gang as a social network influencing the trajectories in the life course of its members is discussed. |
Updated 05/20/2006