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A Grounded Theory Exploration of the Psychological Impact of Leaving the Gang

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A Grounded Theory Exploration of the Psychological Impact of Leaving the Gang University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 2020 What Happens Next? A Grounded Theory Exploration of the Psychological Impact of Leaving the Gang Alana C. Liskov University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Child Psychology Commons, Counseling Commons, and the Counseling Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Liskov, Alana C., "What Happens Next? A Grounded Theory Exploration of the Psychological Impact of Leaving the Gang" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1786. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1786 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? A GROUNDED THEORY EXPLORATION OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF LEAVING THE GANG __________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Morgridge College of Education University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by Alana C. Liskov August 2020 Advisor: Ruth Chu-Lien Chao, Ph.D. ©Copyright by Alana C. Liskov 2020 All Rights Reserved Author: Alana C. Liskov Title: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? A GROUNDED THEORY EXPLORATION OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF LEAVING THE GANG Advisor: Ruth Chu-Lien Chao, Ph.D. Degree Date: August 2020 ABSTRACT Very little research exists regarding the psychological impacts of gang membership and the mental health needs of gang members. Of the few studies that have been conducted, gang members were found to have increased rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (1.77 odds), current substance abuse (2.58 odds), oppositional defiant disorder, (1.24 odds) and conduct disorder (4.05 odds) (Harris, Elkins, Butler, Shelton, Robles, Kwok, Simpson, Young, Mayhew, Brown, & Sargent, 2013). Violent ruminative thinking, violent victimization and fear of further victimization were also significantly higher in gang members and believed to account for high levels of psychosis and anxiety disorder in gang members (Coid, Ullrich, Keers, Bebbington, DeStavola, Kallis, Yang, Reiss, Jenkins, & Donnelly, 2013). A gap remains in the gang literature for the role of psychology generally, as well as research focusing on the psychological implications of gang membership, and the mental health needs of former gang members. This study will address these gaps and add to the current gang desistance literature by focusing on the psychological process involved with gang desistance using a qualitative approach. The ii primary purpose of this grounded theory study is to understand the psychological process an individual experiences when leaving a gang. 11 youth associated with the gang prevention program GRASP, and who identified as former gang members, or in the process of leaving the gang, were interviewed. The study aimed to create a model representing the psychological process a former gang member experiences after deciding to leave the gang and end their gang ties, as well as to better understand the specific mental health impacts for this population. In the resulting model, Negative Impacts on Mental Health falls under the Core Category: Living with Continuous Internal Struggles and Emotional Discord. Youth described various negative impacts on their mental health, including experiencing stress and anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, trauma symptoms, and the impact of grief and loss. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Dedicated to my mother and all the youth who took the time to share their experiences with me. Without you, this work would not be possible. I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to my dissertation advisor, Dr. Chao, for her continuous support with this non-traditional Counseling Psychology project. It has been a lengthy process, and I thank you for all of your guidance over the years, and for motivating me to succeed in completing my degree. Thank you to my dissertation committee members Dr. Garriott, Dr. Cutforth, and Dr. Assefa. Thank you all for supporting me in this process, and for your insights and feedback regarding my work. I especially want to thank Dr. Cutforth for your guidance and mentorship over the course of this project. Thank you for the numerous consultation hours regarding my data analysis, and other aspects of qualitative research. You always believed in my ability to complete this project, and for that I am truly grateful. A big thank you goes out to all of my friends and family who always had my back. You guys are the best! Thank you to all of my University of Denver colleagues: Dr. Ivy Donaldson, Dr. Aaron Hudyma, Dr. Galana Chookolingo, and Dr. June Ashley. To my UNL colleagues: Dr. Ted Bartholomew, Dr. Brittany Gundel, Dr. Nicole Lozano, and Dr. Anita Ferrell. To all of the wonderful people I’ve met in Denver, my childhood friends back home, and everyone else I’ve loved along the way: Chet Gassett, Shawn Silverberg, Marilu, Leslie, Judy, Marissa, Julie, Rachel, Jose, Jessica, Rafa, Elin, Placido, Patrick, Miri, Kalindy, Erin, Megan, Tammy, and Christina. Finally, thank you to my mom, Adele Liskov, and my aunt, Judy Liskov, for always believing in me. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction ...................................................................................................1 Gang Trends in the U.S. ...............................................................................................2 Gang Research ..............................................................................................................3 Mental Health Issues ...................................................................................................5 Purpose of the Study .....................................................................................................7 Research Questions ....................................................................................................10 Chapter Two: Review of Selected Literature .....................................................................11 Overview ........................................................................................................................11 A Brief History of Gangs in the United States .............................................................11 The Northeast .........................................................................................................12 The Midwest ..........................................................................................................13 The West ................................................................................................................14 The South ...............................................................................................................16 Defining Gangs .............................................................................................................16 Theoretical Approaches to Criminality and Deviant Behavior ..................................19 Frederic Thrasher’s The Gang ...............................................................................20 Control Theories ........................................................................................................21 Social Control Theory ................................................................................21 Self-Control Theory ...................................................................................................24 Gang Formation Theory .............................................................................................25 Strain/Differential Opportunity/Anomie Theory ......................................................26 Macro-level Theories .............................................................................................26 Social Disorganization Theory .................................................................................26 Micro-level Theories ............................................................................................27 Multiple Marginalization Theory ..............................................................................27 Interactional Theory .................................................................................................28 Theoretical framework: Life Course Theory ...........................................................28 Applicability of a Life-Course Framework to Gang Research .................................33 Gang Related Research .............................................................................................34 Summary and Research Questions ...........................................................................41 Chapter Three: Method ......................................................................................................43 Qualitative Research ....................................................................................................43 Grounded Theory .........................................................................................................43 Constructivist Grounded Theory ...................................................................................44 Social Justice Emphasis ...............................................................................................45 Suitability of Grounded Theory ....................................................................................45
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