The Effects of Peer Pressure on Gang
Involvement in 5th Grade Elementary
Youth
Chasity Donaldson
Clemson University
Youth Development Leadership
Fast Facts:
The 2009 National Youth Gang Survey reports:

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Youth gang activity has increased to 34.5%
in comparison to 32.4% in 2008
Estimated 28,000 gangs
731,000 gang members /3,500 jurisdictions
Gangs are male dominated
Female gang members are on the rise
96% of all gang homicides are in larger
cities
Community
Collaboration

Emphasizes positive
youth development by
partnering with local
agencies ,citizens and
local, state, and federal
law enforcement in
gang prevention and
intervention in
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
What is Being
Done?
Problem
Peer pressure, along with other factors, is
an element that weighs heavily on the
increase in the numbers of youth who are
involved with gangs.
Purpose
To evaluate which type of decision making
educational facilitation: Consequences of
Bad Choices; Media and Violence; Gangs;
Presentation Follow-Up has the greatest
impact on reducing negative peer pressure
for gang involvement among 5th grade
elementary students in Charlotte –
Mecklenburg Schools, who participate in the
Dangers Involved with Gangs program
Who will Participate?
5th grade elementary
students

What impact does gang prevention have
on peer pressure on 5th grade elementary
students?

What are the programming factors that
contribute to positive decision making to
reduce gang influence among elementary
5th grade youth

What is the correlation between early
gang intervention at the elementary level
and peer pressure?
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What is the correlation between early
gang intervention at the elementary level
and views about gang involvement?

How do 5th grade elementary students
describe their experiences with gangs
Research
Questions:
Literature Review:

Factors that are overlooked in literature that
directly limits gang and violence programming

Similarities between attitudes towards violence
and crime between adolescents who are from
disadvantages neighborhoods in other parts of
the world and in the United States

The correlation between the increase in female
gang involvement and peer pressure and
dysfunctional families
Methodology
Quantitative
Data Analysis and
Reporting

Survey


Qusai Experiment

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Modified
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Pilot testing
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Cross sectional
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Frequencies
Percentages
Central Tendency
(mean, median, and
mode)
Measures of
Dispersion
(range and standard
deviation)
Delimitations:

Only to 5th grade elementary students in
low socioeconomic areas

Only to low socioeconomic areas

Only youth and not parents others who
may have a major influential factors
Study Implications:
Conclusions from this study will increase
the knowledge of gang reductionintervention programs. This knowledge will
provide insight pertaining to the largest risk
factors of elementary youth that pose
significant challenges to gang reduction
programs and that work against positive
youth development
Klein, M. (2011). Comprehensive Gang Reduction Violence Programs. Criminology
& Public Policy Vol. 10 Issue 4, p1037-1044, 8p. Retrieved from:
http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.clemson.edu/ehost/
Walker-Barnes,C; Mason,C. (2001). Perceptions of Risk Factors for Female Gang
Involvement among African American and Hispanic Women. Youth & Society.
Vol. 32 Issue 3, p303, 34p. Retrieved from:
http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.clemson.edu/ehost/
Zdun, S. (2008). Violence in Street Culture: Cross-Cultural Comparison of Youth Groups
and Criminal Gangs. New Directions for Youth Development Vol. 2008 Issue
119, p39-54, 16p
Krejcie, R.V., Morgan, D. W. (1970). “Determining Sample Size for Research
Activities”. Educational and Psychological Measurement.
Retrieved from:
www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/processing/info/SalesVerificationTable.doc
References: