Birds of a feather? Individual differences and gang membership

Gang membership has a robust relationship with crime and violence, leading scholars to take an interest in examining the sources of gang joining. One understudied line of inquiry has been individual differences, which are rank order and time stable characteristics that vary between people. One reason for this lack of attention is the debate around whether researchers should examine individual differences at all. This chapter takes stock of studies conducted on individual differences and gang joining to determine their relevance for research. First, we provide an overview of the state dependence and population heterogeneity perspectives for gang joining. Next, we review research conducted on eleven individual differences spanning fifty studies and determine that research at the individual-level is ultimately worth pursuing. However, conclusions must be interpreted with caution due to neglected theorizing on the relationship, lack of longitudinal research, and minimal empirical studies conducted. Indeed, many individual differences are still up for debate. Finally, we chart directions forward for research on this topic.