Atlanta University Center DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library 5-1-2012 The correlation between child maltreatment and gang affiliation in metro Atlanta Gerri I. Washington Clark Atlanta University Follow this and additional works at:http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations Part of theSocial Work Commons Recommended Citation Washington, Gerri I., "The correlation between child maltreatment and gang affiliation in metro Atlanta" (2012).ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library.Paper 574. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in ETD Collection for AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center. For more information, please [email protected]. ABSTRACT SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK WASHINGTON, GERRI I. B.A. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY BAKERSFIED, 2002 A STUDY OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN CHILD MALTREATMENT AND GANG AFFILIATION IN METRO ATLANTA Advisor: Ebony L. McGriff, Ph.D. Thesis dated May 2012 This is a descriptive study ofthe relationship between exposure to childhood maltreatment and its impact on gang affiliation. It examines the relationship between child maltreatment and gang affiliation to assess ifchild maltreatment is a risk factor for gang membership. The results ofthe study suggest that there is a statistically significant relationship between childhood maltreatment, specifically neglect, and gang affiliation. This study and others like it can assist professionals such as social workers and law enforcement officials in providing prevention, intervention and other services to youth at risk ofjoining a gang and current gang members. A STUDY OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN CHILD MALTREATMENT AND GANG AFFILIATION TN METRO ATLANTA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF CLARK ATLANTA TINTVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK BY GERRI T.WASHTNGTON CLARK ATLANTA TINIVERSITY ATLANTA, GEORGIA MAY 2012 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First. I would like to thank GOD for allowing me the opportunity to return to school and complete a master’s degree and for seeing me through. Secondly. I would like to thank my family especially my mother and aunt for constantly pushing me and providing the support and ongoing encouragement that I needed to complete this process. Next, I would like to thank Dr. Robert Waymer for providing me with the appropriate preparation to start and finish this thesis. In addition, I would like to thank Rasheed Hamilton, Jerome Maultsby and CaringWorks, Inc for providing assistance in obtaining participants for this project. Lastly but certainly not least, I want to thank my classmates Chinyere Nwokah and Jena Parham who kept me motivated on a daily basis, constantly encouraged me to not give up” and lifted me up when I felt defeated and overwhelmed. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii . LIST OF TABLES v CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1 Statement ofthe Problem 2 Purpose of the Study 3 Research Questions 3 Hypotheses 4 Significance ofthe Study 4 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 6 Historical Perspective on Gangs in the U. S 6 Gang Affiliation: Definitions and Prevalence in Metro Atlanta 13 Child Maltreatment: Definitions and Prevalence 19 Child Maltreatment and Gang Affiliation 23 Afro-Centric Perspective 26 Theoretical Framework 27 III. METHODOLOGY 30 Research Design 30 Description ofthe Site 30 Sample and Population 31 Instrumentation 3 1 Treatment ofData 32 Limitations ofthe Study 34 IV. PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS 36 Demographic Data 36 Research Questions and Hypotheses 44 HI CHAPTER Page DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS .51 Summary ofthe Study 51 Implications for Social Work 53 APPENDIX A. Child Maltreatment and Gang Affiliation Questionnaire 54 B. SPSS Program Analysis 58 REFERENCES 63 i V LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1. Demographic Profile ofChild Maltreatment and Gang Affiliation Questionnaire N58 36 2. Ql2: Were you emotionally abused under the age of 18? cN=58) 38 3. Q13: Were you neglected by your parent-guardian under the age of 18? (N58) 39 4. Q14: Physically Neglected (N=23) 39 5. Q15: Medically Neglected (N=14) 40 6. Q16: Educationally neglected (N=21) 40 7. Q17: Emotionally Neglected (N27) 41 8. Q19: Did your parent-guardians make or sell drugs in front ofyou? (N57) 41 9. Q20: Did your parent-guardians use drugs or alcohol that impaired their ability to adequately care for you when you were under the age of 18? (N55) 42 10. Q21: Were you ever locked away or isolated in a room, cage, or confined area under the age of 18? (N5 1) 42 11. Q22: Do you feel that you were abandoned before the age of 18? (N56) 43 12. Cross-Tabulation ofthe computed variable GANGMEM by computed variable NEGLECT (N= 58) 44 13. Cross-tabulation ofcomputed variable GANGMEM by computed variable PARINTOX (N55) 46 V TABLE PAGE 14. Cross-tabulation ofcomputed variable GANGMEM by computed variable ABANDON (N56) 47 15. Cross-tabulation ofthe computed variable GANGMEM by computed variable EMONEG (N=27) 48 vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Gangs in the southern region emerged after to the 1970s and continue to grow today (Howell & Moore, 2010, p. 12). In 1995 southern states began to see an increase ofgang activity and the Southern region led the nation in the number ofnew gang cities, a 32 percent increase, versus increases of26 percent in the Midwest, 6 percent in the Northeast. and 3 percent in the West” (Howell & Moore. 2010, p. 12). By 1998 the south had become the top-ranking region ofstates with the largest number ofgang counties. Georgia with 61 came second to Texas which had 82. In metro Atlanta. gang violence and the number ofgangs are growing, according to District Attorney Paul Howard. Mr. Howard in a recent interview seemed to agree with previous research stating that “young people are being recruited into gang life for protection or a sense ofbelonging” (Shuggs. 2011). Similarly, in an article titled “Understanding the Gang Phenomenon Through the Voices ofYouth: The Gang Defined.” others also believe that peoplejoin gangs to obtain the love, attention and other basic needs that is lacking at home. Lafontaine, Acoose, and Schissel (2009) thought it would be helpful to find sources ofinformation on how to define the term gang from a community and/or member-base perspective and the results were very clear. The respondents agreed that the decision tojoin a gang is not based on individual risk or delinquency, but on very real and rational decisions about 2 power, protection, belonging and access to resources (Federation ofSaskatchewan Indian Nations, 2003). According to Thompson (1998) childhood physical and sexual abuse are predictors ofgang involvement. Thompson concluded that ‘being maltreated is a much more robust correlate ofgang involvement than the level ofsupport, communication, educational interest, and supervision youth receive from their parents” (Thompson, 1998, p. 328). One ofthe basic goals ofconventional gang research is to identify the risk factors associated with the decision tojoin a gang” and based on previous research child maltreatment is a risk factor for gang membership (Davis, 2009, p. 38). Statement ofthe Problem According to the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC), ‘gangs are expanding, evolving, and posing an increasing threat to U.S. communities” (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2011). The latest gang threat assessment prepared by the NGIC revealed that there are approximately 1.4 million active street, prison, and outlaw motorcycle gang members in more than 33,000 gangs operating in all 50 states; Gangs are responsible for an average of48 percent ofviolent crime in mostjurisdictions and up to 90 percent in several others. Gangs are increasingly engaging in non traditional gang-related crimes like alien smuggling, human trafficking, and prostitution, as well as white-collar crimes like counterfeiting, identity theft, and mortgage fraud...primarily due to the high profitability and much lower visibility and risk ofdetection and punishment than drug and weapons trafficking. Gang