Associations Among Trauma Exposure, Callous-Unemotionality, Race or Ethnicity, and Gang Involvement in Justice-Involved Youth

The current study examined the association between trauma exposure and gang involvement and whether these interrelations were explained by callous-unemotionality (CU). In addition, the current study examined whether the associations among these variables differed based on race or ethnicity. A sample...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Mendez, Lucybel (Author) ; Kerig, Patricia (Author) ; Mozley, Michaela M. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2020
In: Criminal justice and behavior
Year: 2020, Volume: 47, Issue: 4, Pages: 457-469
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
CU
Gang involvement
Justice-involved youth
racial or ethnic groups
trauma exposure
Description
Summary:The current study examined the association between trauma exposure and gang involvement and whether these interrelations were explained by callous-unemotionality (CU). In addition, the current study examined whether the associations among these variables differed based on race or ethnicity. A sample of 829 justice-involved youth (74% boys, 45% participants of color) recruited from a detention center completed self-report measures of trauma exposure, CU, and gang involvement. A moderated mediation analysis indicated that CU helped explain the association between trauma exposure and gang involvement for non-Hispanic White participants only. In contrast, the direct association between trauma exposure and gang involvement was significant across racial or ethnic groups. These findings highlight the importance of a trauma-informed perspective on intervening and preventing gang involvement among youth.
ISSN:1552-3594
DOI:10.1177/0093854819897940