Polytraumatization, Mental Health, and Delinquency Among Adolescent Gang Members

Abstract

Adolescent gang members are at high risk for polytraumatization (i.e., experiencing two or more types of trauma), which may contribute to behavioral problems, such as delinquency or drug distribution, and mental health symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. The present study examined the associations between polytraumatization and these behavioral and mental health outcomes. We hypothesized that increased polytraumatization would lead to increased (b) mental health symptoms, (b) delinquency, and (c) drug distribution. Participants included 441 adolescent gang members (57.8% male; age range: 14–19 years) from a midsized city in the Midwestern United States. A path model was used to test hypotheses. A total of 88.0% of participants experienced polytraumatization, such as physical and sexual assault, involvement in accidents, or witnessing a death or injury. Polytraumatization was uniquely and positively associated with depressive and PTSD symptoms, delinquency, and drug distribution, βs = .25–.50, ps < .001, explaining an additional 5.9%–22.5% of the variance in these outcomes beyond covariates. Untreated traumatic exposure among adolescent gang members may subsequently lead to poor behavioral and mental health outcomes. These results may inform prevention and intervention efforts focused on mental health and social justice among a high‐risk adolescent population.

Trauma exposure and adolescent gang involvement: Distinguishing the roles of specific posttraumatic stress symptoms.

“…Therefore, researchers have focused on elucidating factors that may propel youth toward gang membership. In this regard, scholarship that provides a trauma-informed perspective on gang involvement has gained momentum and highlights the role of trauma exposure as a risk factor for youth gangs (e.g., Augustyn et al, 2017; Kerig et al, 2016; Mendez et al, 2020; Nydegger et al, 2019). In addition, a trauma-focused lens points to posttraumatic reactions and specific PTSD symptom clusters as putative facilitators in the link between trauma exposure and gang involvement (Beresford & Wood, 2016; Kerig, 2019; Kerig et al, 2013; Li et al, 2002; Modrowski & Kerig, 2019; Petering, 2016; T.…”

“…The present findings have several implications for future research endeavors. For example, although the current study examined the association among cumulative trauma exposure and gang involvement, there may be differential negative effects based on type (e.g., attachment trauma, perpetration trauma, community violence) and chronicity (acute vs. chronic) of traumatic exposure (Kerig et al, 2016; Nydegger et al, 2019); thus, a valuable next step in the field will be to examine the distinct direct and indirect roles of different types of traumas on gang membership. It also may be fruitful for future research to continue investigating the extent to which specific PTSD symptoms predict gang involvement.…”

“…Recently, trauma-informed perspectives on gang involvement (Beresford & Wood, 2016; Kerig et al, 2013; Kerig & Mendez, 2022) have garnered increasing support and emphasize trauma exposure as a prominent risk factor propelling youth toward gang participation. Compared to adolescents who are not gang members, gang-involved youth report disproportionate exposure to childhood traumatic experiences, including physical and sexual abuse, as well as domestic and community violence witnessing and victimization (e.g., Augustyn et al, 2017; Dierkhising et al, 2021; Kerig et al, 2016; Nydegger et al, 2019), with evidence indicating that these experiences begin as early as the preschool years (Bocanegra & Stolbach, 2012). In turn, research shows that childhood experiences of trauma are consistently linked to an increased likelihood of adolescent gang involvement (Coid et al, 2013; Joseph & Rembert, 2022; Mendez et al, 2020; Petering, 2016; Valdez, 2021).…”

“…In this regard, applying a trauma-informed approach to understanding gang involvement may also be helpful. As a likely outcome of their extensive histories of exposure to childhood trauma, gang-involved youth endorse high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS; Dierkhising et al, 2021; Harris et al, 2013; Nydegger et al, 2019; Petering, 2016; Valdez, 2021). For example, Harris et al (2013) reviewed over 7,000 mental health records of justice-involved youth and found that those who identified as gang members were almost two times more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for PTSD than youth who denied gang involvement.…”

The impact of poly-traumatization on treatment outcomes in young people with substance use disorders

“…The same applies for the term poly-traumatization, which in this study covers multiple types of trauma experiences and not the level of trauma symptomatology. Recent trauma studies have used the terms correspondingly [ 38 , 39 ].…”