The Correlation between High School Dropouts and Street Gangs

Cases of street gangs have become the order of the day in many low-income neighborhoods in major US cities (Taylor, 2013). On the same note, recently conducted studies indicate that the same low-income communities have the highest number of school dropouts (Davis et al., 2014). Previously, a study by Blue (2011) revealed that the school dropout crisis is affecting low-income communities in the United States. According to Blue (2011), only 65% of Blacks and Hispanics complete high school level with a diploma while more than 74% of Caucasian students manage to graduate. Studies indicate that dropping out of school is usually associated with low income (Blue, 2011; Wexler & Pyle, 2012). In other words, school dropouts find it difficult accessing well-paying jobs since they lack the much-needed academic qualification for such jobs. Tellingly, there is a possibility that the high crime levels between the Latin and Black Americans are partly due to the many opportunities they miss when they drop out of the education system. Instead of labeling specific community members as criminals, the society should look at the cause of the problem.

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In case the researcher substantially links dropping out of school to high crime rates, it will be possible to curb the current misconception regarding crime. For policy makers, the findings will justify more investment in the education to keep all youths in school. Although security agents are doing their job of making arrests, more school dropouts are joining to replace such members. Therefore, any effort to keep youths in school will automatically deny such gangs new recruits. In case the hypotheses in this study are empirically justified, then policy makers can use the findings to justify reforms that will promote equity and keep American neighborhoods safer.

Research Databases

PROQUEST

Google Scholar

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Keywords for Selecting Literature

Street gangs

Dropout

Low-income communities

At-Risk Students

High school completion ratios

Life events

Socioeconomic Status

School disengagement

Delinquency

Street rings

Conducting the Study

I intend to use the Waldens Doctoral Capstone Resources as guidance for starting and progressing with my dissertation until its completion. With the resources, I plan to develop each chapter by including critical components in a stepwise manner. My idea is to use recently conducted studies to identify a research gap that relates to my study topic. By reading broadly and examining the theories and methodology that other researchers have used, I will be able to design my study in such a way that it becomes an extension of their current findings.

References

Blue, A. L. (2011). What Factors Contribute to the High School Dropout Rate? Are Students Who Live in Low-Income Economic Conditions More Likely to Drop Out? Jones International University. 1(1), 1-61.

Davis, H. A., Chang, M. L., Andrzejewski, C. E., & Poirier, R. R. (2014). Examining relational engagement across the transition to high schools in three US high schools reformed to improve relationship quality. Learning Environments Research, 17(2), 263-286.

Taylor, S. S. (2013). Why American boys join street gangs. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 5(9), 339-349.

Wexler, J., & Pyle, N. (2012). Dropout prevention and the model-minority stereotype: Reflections from an Asian American high school dropout. The Urban Review, 44(5), 551-570.