The Effects of Peer Pressure on Gang Involvement in 5th Grade Elementary

Youth

Chasity DonaldsonClemson University

Youth Development Leadership

Fast Facts: The 2009 National Youth Gang Survey reports:

Youth gang activity has increased to 34.5% in comparison to 32.4% in 2008

Estimated 28,000 gangs

731,000 gang members /3,500 jurisdictions

Gangs are male dominated

Female gang members are on the rise

96% of all gang homicides are in larger cities

What is Being Done?

Community Collaboration

Emphasizes positive youth development by partnering with local agencies ,citizens and local, state, and federal law enforcement in gang prevention and intervention in Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Problem

Peer pressure, along with other factors, is an element that ways heavily on the increase in numbers of youth who are involved with gangs.

Purpose

To evaluate which type of decision making educational facilitation: Consequences of Bad Choices; Media and Violence; Gangs; Presentation Follow-Up has the greatest impact on reducing negative peer pressure for gang involvement among 5th grade elementary students in Charlotte –Mecklenburg Schools, who participate in the Dangers Involved with Gangs program

Who will Participate?

5th grade elementary students

Research Questions: What impact does gang prevention have

on peer pressure on 5th grade elementary students?

What are the programming factors that contribute to positive decision making to reduce gang influence among elementary 5th grade youth

What is the correlation between early gang intervention at the elementary level and peer pressure?

What is the correlation between early gang intervention at the elementary level and views about gang involvement?

How do 5th grade elementary students describe their experiences with gangs

Literature Review:

Factors that are overlooked in literature that directly limits gang and violence programming

Similarities between attitudes towards violence and crime between adolescents who are from disadvantages neighborhoods in other parts of the world and in the United States

The correlation between the increase in female gang involvement and peer pressure and dysfunctional families

MethodologyQuantitative Data Analysis and

Reporting

Survey

Qusai Experiment

Modified

Pilot testing

Cross sectional

FrequenciesPercentagesCentral Tendency (mean, median, and mode)Measures of

Dispersion (range and standard deviation)

Delimitations:Only to 5th grade elementary students in

low socioeconomic areas

Only to low socioeconomic areas

Only youth and not parents others who may have a major influential factors

Study Implications:

Conclusions from this study will increase the knowledge of gang reduction-intervention programs. This knowledge will provide insight pertaining to the largest risk factors of elementary youth that pose significant challenges to gang reduction programs and that work against positive youth development

References:

Klein, M. (2011). Comprehensive Gang Reduction Violence Programs. Criminology& Public Policy Vol. 10 Issue 4, p1037-1044, 8p. Retrieved from:

http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.clemson.edu/ehost/

Walker-Barnes,C; Mason,C. (2001). Perceptions of Risk Factors for Female GangInvolvement among African American and Hispanic Women. Youth & Society.

Vol. 32 Issue 3, p303, 34p. Retrieved from: http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.clemson.edu/ehost/

Zdun, S. (2008). Violence in Street Culture: Cross-Cultural Comparison of Youth Groups and Criminal Gangs. New Directions for Youth Development Vol. 2008 Issue 119, p39-54, 16p

Krejcie, R.V., Morgan, D. W. (1970). “Determining Sample Size for ResearchActivities”. Educational and Psychological Measurement. Retrieved from: www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/processing/info/SalesVerificationTable.doc