A Comparative Study of Initial Involvement in Gangs and Political Extremism. Issue 8 (17th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Becker, Michael H.; Decker, Scott H.; LaFree, Gary; Pyrooz, David C.; Ernest, Kyle; James, Patrick A.
• Is Part Of: Terrorism and political violence. Volume 34:Issue 8(2022)
• Page Start: 1647
• Page End: 1664
• Publication Date: 2022-11-17
• Subjects: Violent extremism -- gangs -- criminal groups -- terrorism -- entry processes; Terrorism -- Periodicals; Violence -- Periodicals; 303.62505
• DOI: 10.1080/09546553.2020.1828079
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-6553

Abstract

ABSTRACT: There is a paucity of research comparing gang members and domestic extremists and extant studies find few explicit linkages. Despite this, there remains a great deal of interest in possible similarities between these criminal groups. Driving this interest is the possibility of adapting policies and practices aimed at preventing entry into criminal groups. A critical first step to determining compatibility is to examine the circumstances of the individuals who enter these organizations and better describe the entry processes. This study provides a unique comparison of entry into these groups by drawing on four broad empirically derived mechanisms of group entry using forty-five in-person interviews of U.S. gang members and thirty-eight life history narratives of individuals who radicalized in the United States. Our results reveal that each of the four conceptual categories appeared to influence initial involvement; however, no single mechanism described involvement in criminal groups or differentiated involvement across the gangs and extremist groups.