A Comparative Analysis of the Childhood
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by SHAREOK repository UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE OUTLAWS VS. INLAWS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CHILDHOOD BACKGROUNDS OF OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE CLUB MEMBERS AND NON-OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE CLUB MEMBERS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE By SHAWN STUART Norman, Oklahoma 2019 OUTLAWS VS. INLAWS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CHILDHOOD BACKGROUNDS OF OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE CLUB MEMBERS AND NON-OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE CLUB MEMBERS A THESIS APPROVED FOR THE COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING STUDIES BY Dr. John Duncan, Chair Dr. Todd Wuestewald Dr. Gerald Griffin © Copyright by SHAWN STUART 2019 All Rights Reserved. Dedication To Mack and Fergus iv Acknowledgments Dr. John Duncan (Chair), Dr. Todd Wuestewald, and Dr. Gerald Griffin I wish to thank you for providing the opportunity to engage in a topic that I felt passionate about exploring. Thank you for directing this work and offering encouragement and guidance. I would also like to express my gratitude for your patience and kindness throughout my graduate studies. Dr. Pereira and Dr. Liang I wish to thank you for your time, kindness, and consideration. You have inspired me to learn more about statistics and data analyses. Dr. McPhee, Mr. Stalker, Clinical Therapist Shannon Daniels, and Sergeant, Winnipeg Police Service Rob Duttchen. A special thank you to each of you for your input, kindness, and consideration. Colleagues, Family, and Friends Thank you very much to those who helped and supported me during the challenging times of my student life. v Table of Contents List of Tables .........................................................................................................................ix List of Figures ........................................................................................................................x Abstract ..................................................................................................................................xi Chapter 1 Opening Narrative .............................................................................................1 1.1 The Need to Belong .............................................................................................1 1.2 Exclusion..............................................................................................................2 1.3 Rationale for Applying the Belongingness Hypothesis .......................................2 1.4 Rationale for Modelling Street Gang Research ...................................................3 1.5 Research Problem ................................................................................................4 1.6 Research Purpose and Objective ..........................................................................7 1.7 Research Questions ..............................................................................................8 1.8 Thesis Outline ......................................................................................................8 Chapter 2 Introduction to Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs ......................................................9 2.1 Overview ..............................................................................................................9 2.2 History of the Outlaw Motorcycle Club ..............................................................9 2.3 The Process and Structure of Outlaw and Non-Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs .........14 2.4 Explanation of Outlaw and Non-Outlaw Terminology .......................................18 2.5 Summary ..............................................................................................................20 Chapter 3 Literature Review ..............................................................................................21 3.1 Overview ..............................................................................................................21 3.2 Theories on Outlaw Motorcycle Club Members .................................................22 3.3 Street Gang Research ...........................................................................................42 vi 3.3.1 Definition of a Street Gang ...............................................................................43 3.3.2 Risk Factors Predicting Street Gang Membership ............................................44 3.3.3 Risk Factors for Street Gang Membership are Products of Exclusion .............47 3.3.4 Theories on Street Gang Membership .............................................................49 3.4 Theoretical Opening.............................................................................................55 3.5 Why We Need to Belong .....................................................................................57 3.6 Belongingness Hypothesis ...................................................................................58 3.7 The Heightened Need to Belong ..........................................................................67 3.8 How is Belonging Restored in the Outlaw Motorcycle Club ..............................74 3.9 Summary ..............................................................................................................82 Chapter 4 Methodology .......................................................................................................85 4.1 Overview ..............................................................................................................85 4.2 Research Design...................................................................................................86 4.3 Data Generation ...................................................................................................88 4.3.1 Recruiting Outlaw Motorcycle Club Participants .............................................89 4.3.2 Recruiting Non-Outlaw Motorcycle Club Participants.....................................91 Chapter 5 Results .................................................................................................................92 5.1 Overview .............................................................................................................92 5.2 Family Background ..............................................................................................93 5.3 Neighbourhood and Friends .................................................................................94 5.4 Childhood Characteristics ...................................................................................96 5.5 As a Motorcycle Club Member............................................................................96 5.6 Demographics ......................................................................................................97 vii Chapter 6 Discussion ...........................................................................................................101 6.1 Overview ..............................................................................................................101 6.2 Risk Factors in Members of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs ......................................102 6.3 Can Risk Factors Motivate One to Join an Outlaw Motorcycle Club .................104 6.4 Belonging Can be Restored in the Outlaw Motorcycle Club ..............................112 6.5 Demographics ......................................................................................................118 6.6 Limitations ...........................................................................................................122 Chapter 7 Conclusion ..........................................................................................................124 7.1 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................124 7.2 Implications..........................................................................................................126 7.3 Future Research Directions ..................................................................................128 References ..............................................................................................................................131 Tables .....................................................................................................................................141 Figures....................................................................................................................................149 viii List of Tables Table 1 Childhood Characteristics – Often Defied Adult Requests or Rules < Age 18 ........141 Table 2 Childhood Characteristics – Involved in Alcohol or Illegal Drugs < Age 18 ..........142 Table 3 Childhood Characteristics – Participated in Criminal Acts < Age 18 ......................143 Table 4 Demographics – Social Class of Family < Age 18 ...................................................144 Table 5 Demographics – Highest Level of Education < Age 18 ...........................................145 Table 6 Demographics – Marital Status.................................................................................146 Table 7 Demographics – Age Entered MC ............................................................................147 Table 8 Demographics – Employed When Entered MC .......................................................148 ix List of Figures Figure 1 There was regular illegal drug use in home < to age 18