In the United States, gang membership has exploded over the last twenty years. According to the 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment, there are approximately 1.4 million gang members, and they account for 48% of all violent crime and an increase in nonviolent crime nationwide (Wong , Tohn, Hung & Ang, 2013). Gang involvement increases the likelihood of delinquent behavior and could have negative effects on future life trajectories. Several theories currently consider antisocial attitudes as an underlying factor in gang membership. Risk factors such as peer and family association have an underlying effect on an adolescent's gang involvement. Peers can exert negative influences, including antisocial views and aggression that encourage delinquent behavior if they were not previously present (Howell & Egley, 2005). Additionally, gangs are no longer considered to require lifelong membership, as adolescents often exit after one or two years (Howell & Egley, 2005). Transitions are important because they signal that an individual is changing their trajectory. Elder (1997) stated that trajectories are age-specific patterns of development with respect to major social institutions such as family, school, and work, which link "social and psychological states over a substantial part of the life course” (quoted in Krohn, Ward). , Thornberry, Lizotte and Chu, 2011). Many risk factors play an important role in shaping future trajectories. Risk factors for gang membership have been identified at five primary levels: individual, family, school, peer, and community. For example, at the individual level, early onset of delinquency and antisocial behavior among preadolescents might be a topic...... middle of article...... Lizotte, AJ and Chu, R. (November 2011). The cascading effects of adolescent gang involvement across the lifespan. Criminology, 49(4), 991-1028. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2011.00250.xMelde, C. & Esbensen, F. (May 25, 2011). Gang membership as a turning point in the life course. Criminology, 49(2), 513-552. doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2011.00227.xMelde, C. & Esbensen, F. (May 2014). The relative impact of gang status transitions: Identifying the mechanism of change in delinquency. Journal of Crime and Delinquency Research, 4(2), 349-376. doi:10.1177/0022427813507059Pyrooz, D.C., Sweeten, G., & Piquero, A.R. (2013). Continuity and change in gang membership and integration. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50(2), 239-271. doi: 10.1177/0022427811434830 Sweeten, G., Pyrooz, DC, and Piquero, AR (2013). Disengage from gangs and desistance