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Groups, gangs, and delinquency: Does organization matter?

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  • Bouchard, Martin
  • Spindler, Andrea

Abstract

Purpose A consistent finding of research on delinquency has been that gang members show higher levels of delinquent behavior than non-gang members. However, research attempting to understand the mechanisms underlying this finding is lacking. The basic premise of the current article is that the level of organization found in delinquent groups and gangs matters in clarifying the relationship between membership and delinquency.Methods This article examined the association between organization and delinquency in a sample of 523 self-reported juvenile offenders from a high school survey conducted in the province of Quebec, Canada.Results The results showed that 1) there is clearly something special about membership in a gang that influences delinquency beyond the more general membership in a delinquent group; 2) the key to understanding finding lies, in part, in the level of organization found in gangs. Organization emerged as the most important factor associated with general delinquency, involvement in violence, and in drug supply offences, significantly (but not completely) reducing the effect of gang membership on delinquency.Conclusions Even if most delinquent associations show little signs of formal structure and organization, this study demonstrates the importance of organization as a key mechanism to understand the gang effect on delinquency.

Suggested Citation

  • Bouchard, Martin & Spindler, Andrea, 2010. "Groups, gangs, and delinquency: Does organization matter?," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 921-933, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:38:y::i:5:p:921-933
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Decker, Scott H. & Curry, G. David, 2000. "Addressing key features of gang membership: Measuring the involvement of young members," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 473-482.
    2. Steven D. Levitt & Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh, 2000. "An Economic Analysis of a Drug-Selling Gang's Finances," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(3), pages 755-789.
    3. Pizarro, Jesenia M. & McGloin, Jean Marie, 2006. "Explaining gang homicides in Newark, New Jersey: Collective behavior or social disorganization?," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 195-207.
    4. Gurmu, Shiferaw & Trivedi, Pravin K., 1992. "Overdispersion tests for truncated Poisson regression models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1-3), pages 347-370.
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    1. Gross, Rebekkah L. & Leverso, John & Hayes, Brittany E., 2025. "The association of gang embeddedness and sexual victimization with mental health outcomes," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    2. Watkins, Adam M. & Taylor, Terrance J., 2016. "The prevalence, predictors, and criminogenic effect of joining a gang among urban, suburban, and rural youth," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 133-142.
    3. DeLisi, Matt & Piquero, Alex R., 2011. "New frontiers in criminal careers research, 2000-2011: A state-of-the-art review," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 289-301, July.

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