ABSTRACT
2Qualitative research that attempts to gain a holistic understanding of the factors related to gang involvement, including the role of psychological processes, is sparse. This chapter uses unified theory as an organizing framework to present a case history of HY, a 28-year-old Black British male who was previously affiliated to a reputable gang in the United Kingdom. HY’s case history enables closer examination of the various psychological and behavioral factors associated with criminality, gang membership, and desistence pathways included in unified theory. HY’s case shows how his gang membership was preceded by adverse psychological characteristics (e.g., untreated mental illness, poor emotion regulation, sociocognitive processes), adverse social factors (e.g., social marginalization, school exclusion, poor family bonds), and adverse environmental factors (e.g., exposure to delinquency, poverty, violence). HY’s personal violence also played a role in his gang joining and persistent offending. Implications regarding prevention and intervention efforts to tackle the effects of gang involvement, especially with regard to the mental ill health and emotional well-being of gang members, and the potential for theory development are all discussed.
