ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION For many individuals, agencies, and communities, the problem of youthful misbehavior is most notably gang delinquency. This is particularly true in large cities where gangs are responsible for 25 percent or more of all homicides (Los Angeles, for instance, attributes half of its homicides to gangs [Howell et al., 2011]). Law enforcement agencies consistently report that gangs and gang members are heavily involved in drug sales, assaultive behavior, robberies, and burglaries (National Youth Gang Center [NYGC], 2009). A great deal of early research shows that juveniles commit more deviant acts while in the company of other youths than when they are alone (see, for example, Erickson, 1971; Hindelang, 1971).
