Assessing Youth Motivations for Joining a Peer Group as Risk Factors for Delinquent and Gang Behavior

• Author: Meagan Cahill,Pamela Lachman,Caterina G. Roman
• Published date: 01 July 2013
• Date: 01 July 2013
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/1541204012461510
• Published By: Sage Publications, Inc.
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
11(3) 212-229
Assessing Youth Motivations
ª The Author(s) 2013
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DOI: 10.1177/1541204012461510
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Risk Factors for Delinquent
and Gang Behavior
Pamela Lachman1, Caterina G. Roman2, and Meagan Cahill1
Abstract
This article expands upon the limited literature on the relationship between youth motivations for
joining a peer group and delinquent behavior. Using network survey data from 200 youth who self-
identified as group members, we conducted factor analysis to develop measures of motivation to
join a group, and then describe these motivations and the differences between delinquent and non-
delinquent group members. Using negative binomial and binary logistic regression models, we exam-
ined the relationship between these motivations and delinquent behavior. The results indicated that
youth who join a group for instrumental purposes exhibit more delinquent behavior than those who
do not, while joining a group for reasons associated with filling a void and/or belonging has a weaker
relationship to delinquency. The findings suggested that certain motivations for joining groups could
serve as important risk factors that could be targeted by agencies and organizations seeking to pre-
vent youth delinquent and gang behavior.
Keywords
peer influences, risk factors, gang activity, delinquency
Introduction
Research from across the social and behavioral sciences has long agreed that peers and peer relations
are developmentally significant in the lives of youth and young adults (see Sussman, Pokhrel,
Ashmore, & Brown, 2007). A large body of criminological research has established that one’s delin-
quent peer association is a key influence on one’s own delinquency. Regardless of whether the
mechanisms of delinquent peer association are rooted in selection (where delinquent youth choose
other delinquent youth as peers) or influence (where delinquent peers influence nondelinquent
peers to become delinquent), research has shown that a youth’s developmental trajectory may be
explained by his or her peer group (Crosnoe & McNeely, 2008). However, few studies have
1 The Urban Institute, Washington, DC, USA
2 Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Corresponding Author:
Pamela Lachman, Justice Policy Center, Urban Institute, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
Email: pamelalachman@gmail.com

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Lachman et al.
213
examined the reasons why youth join groups, and how these reasons might be associated with delin-
quency and violence.
There are both tangible and perceived benefits for youth in peer groups—peer groups can offer
youth friendship and emotional and social support, as well as an escape from other aspects of their
lives (Crosnoe, 2000). These factors can have both prosocial and antisocial influences on youth,
depending on the circumstances; some youth may seek out prosocial peers as a way to avoid
negative influences in their homes, while others may associate with antisocial peers despite a
positive home environment (Schwartz, Dodge, Pettit, & Bates, 2000). Furthermore, research has
shown that once in a group, whether via selection or influence, youth are likely to conform to the
behaviors of peers of that group (Brown, Eicher, & Petrie, 1986). Research findings on peer
influence are consistent across different types of negative or antisocial behaviors including
aggression (Farmer et al., 2003), smoking, alcohol, and other drug abuse (La Greca, Prinstein, &
Fetter, 2001; Sussman, et al., 1999; Urberg, Degirmencioglu, Tolson, & Halliday-Scher, 2000), and
delinquency (Demuth, 2004; Tolone & Tieman, 1990; Urberg et al., 2000).
With regard to delinquency, the influence of delinquent peers on individual delinquent activity
remains one of the strongest and most consistent findings in the youth offending literature
(Battin-Pearson, Thornberry, Hawkins, & Krohn, 1998; Haynie, 2002, 2001; Haynie & Osgood,
2005; Lahey, Loeber, Stouthamer-Loeber, & Farrington, 1999; Loeber & Dishion, 1987; Maxson,
Whitlock, & Klein, 1998; Shoemaker, 2005; Warr, 2002). Within this literature, many research
efforts have focused on understanding the mechanisms that affect this relationship, mainly whether
youth select negative peers or are simply influenced by delinquent peers once they become part of a
group. Despite this focus, few studies have examined self-reported motivations for joining a group
and whether motivations for joining a group are associated with delinquent behavior. More
specifically, criminological research has yet to examine the influence of these motivations in the
context of other risk factors for delinquency. Understanding the importance of motivations for
joining a group relative to other risk factors for delinquency (e.g., parental involvement, school
attachment, etc.) could aid policy makers who want to prevent delinquent activity among youth.
If particular types of motivations for joining a group are strong predictors of delinquent behavior,
identifying those motivations could aid resource targeting or service provision, and more impor-
tantly, reduce the risk of delinquency by directly addressing certain motivations for group joining.
This article, part of a larger multisite social network study of the influence of norms and networks
on youth delinquency (Cahill, Lowry, & Roman, 2011; Roman et al., 2012), focuses on the motiva-
tions that youth have to join a group of friends—defined as people they hang out with or see on a
regular basis. Prior to discussing the current study and explicitly examining the relationship between
a youth’s motivation to join a group and his or her delinquent behavior, we review the literature
related to motivation to join peer groups—in particular, gangs and other delinquent groups.
Background Literature
Although the literature dissecting motivations for a joining peer groups is limited, the majority of
studies suggest that an adolescent enters a peer group because she or he is attracted to the norms,
values, behaviors, and activities of a particular group (Crosnoe & McNeely, 2008). The attraction
to a group may be related to homophily in that individuals will befriend people like themselves;
research by Cairns and Cairns (1994) suggests that friendship ties in youth are most likely to form
when two people have similar characteristics, such as age, sex, race, and social class. This is related
to a youth’s desire to easily coordinate needs and activities. It is also related to propinquity or
nearness (Warr, 2002). For example, having friends with similar interests can help relieve boredom,
and researchers have suggested that the very nature of boredom can be relieved by the presence of
others (Csikszentmihalyi & Larson, 1984). Other research suggests that some youth choose to

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Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 11(3)
associate with peers who have complementary skills so that each youth can bring something to the
group that is of benefit to other individuals; this helps youth create mutually dependent relationships
that can help sustain their own social positions (Farmer, Xie, Cairns, & Hutchins, 2007).
Some youth are motivated to join a peer group simply because they already have friends who are
members of that peer group (Farmer et al., 2003; Ryan, 2001). Research has also shown that certain
components of peer groups, such as the amount of time youth spend together, is relevant to
understanding how youth form peer groups and the group’s relationship to individuals’ delinquent
behavior (Greene & Banerjee, 2008; Haynie & Osgood, 2005; Osgood, Wilson, O’Malley,
Bachman, & Johnson, 1996). These circumstances may account for why youth choose to join a peer
group (e.g., to fill up empty time). Routine activities for youth often include a large portion of
unstructured and unsupervised time during which they are simply hanging out with other youth
(Felson & Boba, 2010; Osgood et al., 1996). During this time, they are learning and/or reinforcing
different types of behavior—whether prosocial, deviant, or criminal (Akers, 1985; Dishion, 2000;
Osgood et al., 1996). Other youth may be manipulated into joining groups; Warr (1996) found that
there are group leaders (called instigators) who recruit weaker individuals, initiate delinquent
behavior, and motivate others to join the group.
Research on gangs has also provided insight into peer group formation. Studies that have
examined the motivations for joining a gang suggest that youth perceive many personal benefits
to being part of a gang. These benefits include: prestige and status (Baccaglini, 1993; Moore,
1991, 1978) protection (Baccaglini, 1993; Thornberry, Krohn, Lizotte, & Chard-Wierschem,
1993), excitement (Miller, 1958; Pennell, Evans, Melton, & Hinson, 1994), avoidance of conflict
with parents and family (Moore 1991, 1978), and making money through illegal activities such
as selling drugs (Decker & Van Winkle, 1996; Venkatesh, 1999). Youth may also join gangs when
their friends and family (specifically siblings and cousins) are already members of the gang (Hill,
Howell, Hawkins, & Battin-Pearson, 1999).
In summary, youth motivations to join a group vary widely, but for the most part appear to fall in
categories related to establishing a group-based identity based on similarities, access to particular
activities, for prestige or protection, and to fill some type of a void. Youth may also be motivated
to join a peer group because they are coerced to or feel pressured to join. The research on...