This executive summary presents key findings from NCCD’s interviews with 114 gang-involved girls and young women in California from 2012 to 2015. The interviews were part of NCCD’s research into the individual, family, and community factors affecting girls’ experiences with and desistance from gangs and gang-related crime. The goals of NCCD’s study included identifying girls’ reasons for joining gangs, their experiences and activities related to gang involvement, and their motivations and strategies for transitioning away from gangs. The summary also provides recommendations for practitioners, policymakers, and others who are interested in improving outcomes for gang-involved girls.
