Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: This study seeks to evaluate differential gang processes as they vary by gender through a quantitative analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997. Specifically, this investigation examined the role of motherhood as a potential exit strategy for female gang membership, which had been previously explored in the qualitative work of Fleisher and Krienert (2004). In fact, Fleisher and Krienert (2004) noted that sixty-three percent of their sample had attributed pregnancy or “settling down” as the primary reason for desistance. A descriptive analysis discovered that the majority of female gang members became pregnant long after desistance, rather than fitting temporal patterns that would support Fleisher and Krienert (2004). In addition, affiliated females were not found to significantly have more live births from their pregnancies than those without affiliation.