Associations Between School Violence, Military Connection, and Gang Membership in California Secondary Schools

Military youth attending public schools often possess many risk factors also associated with gang membership, including home and school upheaval and alienation from peers. Associations between military family characteristics (e.g., deployments, relocations), youth health behaviors, and gang membership were examined. While military connection alone did not predict youth gang membership, frequent moves and family deployments put youth at increased risk for being in a gang.