The Consequences of Adolescent Gang Membership On Functioning in the Next Generation

Background and Purpose: Research has documented the immense short-term personal and social consequences of joining a gang during adolescence, including mental health consequences, drug use and addiction, violence perpetration and victimization and incarceration (Esbensen & Huizinga, 2006; Hill et al., 1999; Hill et al., 2001; Howell, 1998; Thornberry, 1998). As gang members grow up, they too take on adult roles including the role of parenting. However, very little research has examined the consequences of joining a gang during adolescence on adult functioning (Thornberry et al., 2003), and no study to date has examined the consequences of gang membership on functioning in the next generation. Method: Data are drawn from two linked longitudinal studies: the Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP) and the SSDP Intergenerational Project (TIP). SSDP is a 25-year longitudinal study that has followed 808 youths (G2) and their parents (G1) from elementary school (1985) to adulthood (with 91% retention). During adolescence approximately 15% of the SSDP panel joined a street gang. SSDP panel members are now adults and many are having and raising children of their own (G3). The Intergenerational Project extends the SSDP panel by examining the intergenerational continuity and discontinuity in adversity and problem behavior across three generations. Participants in TIP (n=268) include those SSDP participants actively parenting a child, their oldest child and an alternate caregiver (typically the spouse). The present study builds on Paper 2 of the current symposium by examining (1) whether G2 adolescent gang membership significantly predicts adjustment problems in their G3 children 10+ years later and (2) whether these effects (if any) are mediated through the aspects of G2 adult functioning identified in Paper 2. These questions are examined using t-tests, correlation, regression, and structural equation models. Results: Eighteen percent of the SSDP parents in TIP had joined a gang during adolescence, although none claimed ongoing membership in adulthood. Results show that the children of former gang members are significantly higher in teacher-rated social problems, attention problems, oppositional defiance, conduct problems, affective problems and anxiety. Furthermore, SEM results show these effects to be mediated through G2's adult functioning (especially parent substance use, depression and poverty) as well as parenting practices. These intergenerational effects of gang membership remain after controlling for G2 low childhood socio-economic status, gender, ethnicity, G2 childhood maltreatment and poor family functioning. Conclusions and Implications: Results from the present study clearly indicate that the consequences of gang membership extend not only into adulthood (as was demonstrated in Paper 2 of this symposium), but also cascade into the next generation. To our knowledge, this is the first prospective, longitudinal study of the intergenerational consequences of adolescent gang membership. These results point to the importance of developing interventions to help former gang youths transition into normal life, ameliorating the consequences of gang membership, as well as the development of prevention programs that prevent youths from joining gangs in the first place.