Hanser and Gomila (2015) state, “For many younger youth, adult gang members serve as role models whose behavior is to be emulated as early as possible to become full-fledged gang members because of the prestige, respect, and sense of belonging that being a gang member provides them” (341). are due to a lack of family support and various types of violence in their lives Hanser and Gomila (2015) noted that “young women's involvement in sexual activity, substance abuse, and violence was clearly related to gang membership” ( p. 348).Sexual abuse has been a major reason why minors join gangs. Young women living in urban ghettos are more likely to experience sexual abuse and join gangs as a way to cope and escape to the reality of poverty. Young women will experience more difficulties than young men before they are fully accepted as full members of the gang. As previously stated, sexual abuse has been among the main reasons why minors join gangs; however, the sexual abuse does not end there as it continues to occur throughout the life of the gang (Hanser & Gomila,