Leaving a Gang : The Role of Individual and Collective Factors
The present study examines the process of gang disaffiliation among a sample of 73 incarcerated gang members in British Columbia, looking at whether termination of membership is associated with individual characteristics or is more influenced by group characteristics and processes. The differences between active members (n = 51) and those who have left the gang (n = 22) are examined. A logistic regression is then used to determine which factors were more likely to predict gang disaffiliation among those in our sample. The results suggest that internal gang violence and a pre-membership criminal social environment support continued membership and thus delay disaffiliation. The article also examines the context in which disaffiliation takes place, looking at (a) the role of potential triggering events on the decision to leave the gang and (b) the role of violence in the process of disaffiliation. These two last objectives are addressed by analysing the narratives of the 22 participants of this study who had recently left their gangs. This qualitative analysis complements the quantitative results, which may not capture the full spectrum of the decision process.