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Why Do Youth Join Gangs?

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Why Do Youth Join Gangs?
It has been found that the more types of trauma young people are exposed to, the more severe the psychiatric consequences (Ford, Elhai, Connor, & Frueh, 2010). In addition, the thinking and social-emotional patterns that come about because of victimization often lead to decisions about self-protective behaviors. For instance, youth may join gangs because they view gangs as protective or because a gang will allow them to have a reason to carry a gun, thus increasing their feelings of protection and security (Garbarino, Hammond, Mercy & Yung,
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