Measuring gang membership in England and Wales: A latent class analysis with Eurogang survey questions

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

182 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper examines the conceptual and empirical adequacy of the Eurogang Network's survey measurement of gang membership. Using data from a nationally representative survey of young people in England and Wales, we employed a latent class analysis to model variation in the characteristics of peer groups. We found that while Eurogang survey items identified a distinct group of young people involved in more frequent and serious offending, this definition also extended to a separate group whose only 'vice' was recreational drug use. We discuss the conceptual validity of extending the 'gang' label to this latter group, together with the pressing need for more developmentally sensitive measures of peer networks in adolescence. © The Author(s) 2013.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)591-605
Number of pages14
JournalEuropean Journal of Criminology
Volume10
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sep 2013

Keywords

  • drug use
  • Eurogang
  • Gangs
  • latent class analysis
  • measurement invariance

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Measuring gang membership in England and Wales: A latent class analysis with Eurogang survey questions'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this