Socio‐Ecological Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Gang Involvement

Self‐perception of assisting with future injection drug initiation: The influence of relationships in the process of drug injecting initiation

“…family, intimate partners, friends), the specific geographic location and the context (e.g. political climate, laws and policies, access to health care, treatment and services) in which a person lives directly influences their capacity to make and carry out decisions and can highlight their risk and/or protective factors [24]. Focusing on the interconnectedness of an individual and their surroundings is particularly important when identifying culturally and individually appropriate intervention strategies [25].…”

“…marginalisation, stigma, limited resources) and protective factors (e.g. safety, social connectedness) [24] and to inform intervention strategies that target multiple entry points (e.g. individual, community, society‐level) [25].…”

Is It Safe? Community Integration for Individuals With Serious Mental Illnesses

“…For many participants, neighborhoods had high levels of gang violence, which had direct and indirect impacts on their safety experiences as they strategized whether to befriend or avoid contacts with gang members and areas. Befriending gang members can be a way of finding support and increasing social engagement (Hartwell & Benson, 2007), but it is also associated with risk factors that can perpetuate victimization and engagement in violent behavior (Estrada et al, 2018). These tensions put individuals in a double bind, forcing them to either choose social connection (and risk harm) or isolate themselves to prioritize their safety.…”

College Is …: Focusing on the College Knowledge of Gang-Associated Latino Young Men

“…There are more than 1 million self-reported youth who are embedded in some type of (in)formal gang, crew, or other group with a designated name and moniker that demonstrates a commitment to engaging in differentiated levels of criminal activity (Klein & Maxson, 2006;Pyrooz & Sweeten, 2015). Youth choose gangs in response to the powerlessness and marginalization they may feel in their neighborhoods (Estrada et al, 2018;Vigil, 1988Vigil, , 1999Vigil, , 2019, which are often opportunity deserts, sites of long-term poverty, and underinvested by governments (Vigil, 2003). Vigil (2019) warns us that in the absence of positive influences, "gangs replace parenting, schooling, and policing to regulate the lives of many youth" (p. 3).…”

“…Finally, we acknowledge the findings in this article mirror other racial, ethnic, and minoritized populations in the K-12 system that do not receive adequate or timely college knowledge (Corwin et al, 2004; Sanchez et al, 2012; Martinez, 2014). We are mindful that many schools are unable to provide interventions to promote positive school engagement for gang youth and would rather transfer “bad kids” to alternative schools (Hernandez, 2017; Malagón, 2010), but that does not help gang youth reach their social or academic potential (Estrada et al, 2018; Huerta, 2016). Serving gang youth is complicated process as many school leaders are not equipped to deal with community violence or student mental health needs in appropriate manners (DeMatthews & Brown, 2019), and gang youth often are victims of school and local violence (Carson & Esbensen, 2019).…”