Guns and Gangs (Revised)
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Abstract
The Guns and Gangs-Revised measure is a 67-item instrument
based on a measure used in a previous study (Dodge, Pettit, and
Bates, 1995). Fast Track's original version (Guns and Gangs) was
added to the child instrument battery in Grade 7. Beginning in Grade
10, 37 new items were added to the 30-item Guns and Gangs measure
to collect additional information on gang participation.
The measure assesses recent involvement in gangs and use of weapons
in the past year. The measure is divided into five sections: gang
involvement, use/availability of small knives, use/availability
of large knives, use/availability of guns owned by the child, and
use/availability of guns owned by parents or other adults in his/her
home.
These items were only asked if the child reported gang membership
in the last 12 months. They capture how the child found out about
the gang, reasons for joining, gang initiation, potential consequences
for not joining, how important the gang is to the child, how often
the gang gets together, and gang activities (i.e. community activities,
helping neighborhood residents, helping neighborhood kids, fighting
with other gangs, providing protection for gang members, and illegal
activities). Children who report that their gang participates in
illegal activities are asked about specific illegal activities (i.e.
stealing, joyriding, attacking people, selling drugs, other illegal
activities, and other fun activities that are not illegal). The
additional items include 6 Likert scale items capturing how being
in the gang makes the child feel.
The original 30 items of this measure have been combined to create
12 scales: 11 scales related to weapons and 1 related to gangs.
The additional 37 items added in Grade 10 are used to create 3 additional
scales for children who report gang membership in the last 12 months.
Analysts should note that none of the scales are normally distributed.
Due to the low rates of weapon use/availability and gang involvement,
the scales are skewed to the right.
Keywords: Gang Involvement, Gun Use, Weapons, Gun Ownership, Gang
Activity, Assault, Theft, Illegal Actions
Administration History
See study
years administered.
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3 September 2004
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