Gang Membership and Knife Carrying: Findings from the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime

This report presents key findings on gang membership and knife carrying amongst a cohort of over 4000 young people based on data collected by the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime (ESYTC). The report provides an account of the knife carrying behaviour and reported gang membership amongst young people between age 12 and 17 and explores the background characteristics or profiles of young people who have carried knives or been involved in a gang. The report highlights that the main risk factors associated with knife carrying and gang membership have some overlap; however, there are also distinct differences which suggest that the aetiology of these two forms of delinquent behaviour is not necessarily shared.