THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIMENSIONAL SELF-CONCEPT AND JUVENILE GANG INVOLVEMENT - IMPLICATIONS FOR PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND COURT REFERRED DIVERSION PROGRAMS

In this investigation we assessed 427 youths from an area with conside rable gang activity to determine the way in which self-concept is rela ted to gang involvement, and to assess how gang involvement fluctuates as a function of gender and grade level. Product moment correlations revealed a significant negative association between gang involvement a nd the self-concept dimensions of competence, affect, academic, family , and global; however, only the relationship with competence self-conc ept remained significant after adjusting for alpha inflation. Discrimi nant analysis revealed a significant predictive relationship between s elf-concept and classification into high or Tow gang-involved groups. Males were found to be significantly more gang involved than females, but no differences were found by grade level (although a significant g ender by grade interaction was present). Implications for held-based p revention/intervention efforts and court referred diversion programs a re discussed. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.