Understanding Motivations of Youth Gang Participation Through a Self-Determination Lens: Insights for Mentoring

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Philp, K. D., & Babb, K. E. (2025). Understanding motivations for gang joining using self-determination theory: Implications for youth mentoring programs. Victims & Offenders. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2025.2509313

Introduction

Youth gang participation in the United States is a persistent concern, often beginning in early adolescence and peaking around age 14. Involvement is linked to poor long-term physical, emotional, and social outcomes, including exposure to violence, substance abuse, and chronic anxiety. Preventive programs like Credible Messengers, comprising of mentors with lived experiences in gangs or incarceration, show promise. However, little is known about the motivational processes driving gang joining.

Philp and Babb (2025) apply Self-Determination Theory (SDT)—a model emphasizing the psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence—to explore the recalled motivations of former gang members now serving as mentors. The goal was to determine whether SDT constructs could explain the process of gang joining and inform mentoring practices.

Methods

Using a deductive qualitative analysis (DQA) approach, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with eight participants (six men, two women; all Latinx; ages 41–64) who joined gangs between ages 11–15 and now work in youth mentoring. Recruitment occurred via word of mouth and the Credible Messengers of Florida network, with interviews lasting 1–2 hours through secure Zoom.

The codebook was developed from SDT constructs, covering need satisfaction/thwarting and motivational regulation types. Data were coded using qualitative analysis software, integrating deductive and inductive methods to refine theory fit. Reflexivity practices, including member reflection sessions, were employed to validate interpretations.

Results

Relatedness emerged as the most prominent need, with participants describing intense belonging and “family-like” acceptance within gangs, often contrasted with neglect, instability, or racism in home and school environments. Competence was less evident in early life but grew as participants assumed leadership roles in gangs, gaining respect and recognition. Autonomy support was limited, with participants’ motivations often falling under introjected regulation—engaging in behaviors to maintain self-worth or group acceptance, sometimes despite personal conflict. An expanded theme revealed that while physical safety was mentioned, belonging often outweighed safety concerns. Abuse and community violence were common precursors, but only one participant cited protection as a primary reason for joining.

Discussion

The study supports SDT’s applicability in explaining gang joining as a process of seeking psychological need fulfillment, particularly belonging, amid chronic need thwarting in earlier life contexts. Leadership roles in gangs enhanced competence but did not necessarily shift participants toward autonomous motivation due to limited autonomy support. Many participants navigated “mixed motivations,” balancing loyalty, identity, and self-esteem maintenance. The findings refine SDT’s relevance by highlighting the interplay between psychological and physical safety needs, and by showing how need satisfaction in maladaptive contexts can perpetuate risky behaviors.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Credible Messenger and other youth mentoring models can benefit from integrating SDT into program design. Training mentors in metamotivational knowledge (understanding their own and mentees’ motivational histories) may improve intervention tailoring. Programs should intentionally support all three basic needs:

  • Relatedness: Build authentic, trust-based relationships that replace the gang’s sense of family.

  • Competence: Offer skill-building opportunities that lead to mastery in pro-social contexts.

  • Autonomy: Use strategies to help youth move from controlled to more autonomous forms of motivation, including validating emotions tied to introjected regulation and guiding identity exploration for those in integrated regulation states.

Developing assessments to identify youth’s motivational profiles could allow mentors to better match interventions to needs, potentially reducing the appeal of gang involvement.

Read the full paper here