| In accordance with the district, and contemporary youth terminology of this middle school study, the term "clique," is used interchangeably with "gang." The purpose of this study is to determine if there are major risk factors for gang (clique) membership, and, if so, what the relationships of these risk factors are to academic achievement and promotion readiness for 8th graders. By using Social Disorganization Theory as its theoretical basis, this study's objective is to discover and explain these relations within a community and to describe the corresponding concerns and perceptions of the youth. This study uses descriptive statistical analysis with a focus on students in a suburban public middle school in a Southeastern metro city over one school year period. Focusing on questions of youth, schooling, identity, and gangs (cliques), this study uses data collected in a blind survey to assess the practices, belief systems, and other social characteristics of students interacting in a specific community. Therefore, the data collected explore several risk predictors, at the level of individuals, the family, school and the community.;The findings of this study show that, of the variables examined, peer risk and community neighborhood risk were significant predictors of ever being a member of a clique, while only community neighborhood risk was a significant predictor of currently being in a clique. The data also indicate ethnicity in the case of Black and Hispanic students were significant, and being a current member of a clique predicts a significant decline in academic achievement and promotion readiness. Finally, the finding of female clique affiliation and membership should be further researched; a greater percentage of females than males had ever belonged to a clique and were currently members of a clique. |
