Antisocial people most likely to join gangs: study
Extreme antisocial personality influences a person's decision to join a gang, new British research shows. A two-man research team from the University of Leicester and University College London discovered how within criminal groups, while some individuals got along with others easily, the most antisocial types joined or formed gangs because they tried to fit in; these types ended up establishing 'friendships' with others who think and act like them. The findings are published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. Antisocial individuals were responsible for triggering the infamous riots in London earlier this year, research shows. These types of people usually act impulsively and have no concern for how their actions and behaviour will affect others. What usually happens is that they become excluded from school or work, and find themselves increasingly separated from others due to their often disagreeable and difficult company. Not only do these people have a hard time making friends, but they feel isolated and rejected until they come into contact with like-minded people. This latest study challenges earlier theories putting forward fear, intimidation or peer pressure as factors that push people to join gangs. According to the duo, some people choose to become gang members because they look for others similar to them. Common characteristics include personality traits and values, so joining a gang could make such individuals feel that friendships are possible and that they 'fit in' with others, something they felt they could not achieve before. The team assessed adult male prisoners who performed a battery of psychometric personality tests. Impulsive behaviour and feelings of commitment to various social groups were evaluated as well. The researchers identified 'antisocial personality', even within a group of inmates, as a strong indicator of gang membership. Low self-discipline, low self-control, a lack of concern for other's problems and impulsiveness characterise antisocial personality, according to the researchers. People with antisocial personality also associate much less with peers who could have a positive influence on them. The findings suggest that antisocial people favour spending time with peers who reaffirm their values and attitudes. The data also reveal that within a large group of inmates, all of whom were antisocial, the most antisocial were prone to take part in more criminal activity and be gang members. The team says that despite being present, the emotional and social feelings in adult offenders were linked neither to the number of crimes they had committed nor to gang membership. This result may differ for younger offenders. 'Our findings suggest individuals with low agreeableness seek out similar peers (in terms of disposition and attitudes), and this assortative process drives gang membership rather than socialisation alone,' explains Dr Vincent Egan from the School of Psychology at the University of Leicester. 'Antisocial group formation is strengthened if low-agreeableness individuals are rejected from prosocial peer groups, and peer group rejection predicts gang membership and deviance. Our findings suggest interventions seeking to reduce gang adherence focus on antisocial rather than emotional thoughts and behaviours, reiterating the importance of offence-focused interventions.'For more information, please visit: University of Leicester:http://www2.le.ac.uk/University College London:http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Personality and Individual Differences:http://www.journals.elsevier.com/personality-and-individual-differences/
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