New York, Aug 28 (IANS): Young girls who join gangs to find their lost freedom are at a greater risk of unprotected sex with multiple partners and substance abuse, says a new study.

Adolescents who have strained relationships with family and community members and have displaced housing may find a sense of belonging with gangs.

"Girls with low self-esteem, emotional problems, trauma history, low parental monitoring, friends who engage in risky behaviours and poor neighbourhood are likely to be involved in a gang," said study author Dexter Voisin, a professor at the University of Chicago.

The findings come from a questionnaire survey involving respondents in the form of 188 African American females, ages 13 to 17, who were incarcerated in a short-term detention facility in Atlanta.

The risks include problematic drug or alcohol use and initiation of sex without a condom.

"It may be that the gangs satisfy the need for social connections and survival for these teens. At the same time, there are certain behaviours and norms within gangs that are associated with increased social and health risk factors for their members," Voisin explained.

The research was scheduled to be published in the journal Child Youth and Services Review.