Gangs in global perspective

Abstract

As processes and patterns of organized violence across different contexts continue to take new and complex turns, this paper takes stock of some of the most important trends to emerge in research on gangs in recent years. Shifting social, political and economic conditions and diverse systemic shocks continue to interweave with often dynamic and flexible organizational and operational gang structures, contributing to ever more complex landscapes of violence. In addition, the increasingly blurred boundaries between violent groups at local, national and even regional scales have complicated attempts to disentangle and distinguish different violent actors and institutions. The paper grapples with contemporary dynamics of violence, conflict and gangs, considering both change and continuity. It highlights the need to continue developing research and interventions that move beyond pre-existing, inappropriate or exaggerated understandings of gangs, by engaging with the increasing blurring between different violent groups and the complex relationships between gangs, the state and society, so capturing the fluidity of gang identities and motivations.

Explaining Patterns of Urban Violence in Medellin, Colombia

“…Nevertheless, it is widely believed that the lack of ability and preparation of national and subnational governments to absorb rapid urban population growth is a contributing factor to a rise in organised forms of urban violence ( [6], p. 2) such as in Colombia and Brazil ( [9], p. 46). Additionally, if state institutions are weak or lack the ability to exert control over a city, they can be considered "illegitimate" by citizens and different non-state informal institutions may emerge to fill the "institutional power vacuum" ( [5], p. 169; [6], p. 49), resulting in state institutions sharing control with these informal institutions ( [10], p. 4).…”

“…Research on urban Latin American gangs portrays members as poor, disenfranchised young males, living in the urban margins, who are born into chronic inequality, elitism and exclusion [4]. In Latin American cities "inequality and exclusion are woven into the fabric of the region" [4] and economic changes may only "exacerbate existing inequalities and create new ones" instead of improving conditions ( [5], p. 407). In these environments, youth access to employment can often become a matter of "dead-end, low-wage jobs" [17].…”

“…Therefore, it is important not to view gang members in Latin American cities as "irrational criminal actors". Rather, they can be seen as individuals reacting against the wider exclusion with their practices of purposeful and selective violence being interpreted as linked to their social and economic exclusion ( [5], p. 408). As a result, gang members in Latin American cities normally have a high number of risk factors.…”

“…Latin America is one of the most world's most violent regions, with 40 of the 50 most violent cities [1], but with only 8% of the world's population, and a staggering 33% of global homicides [2], a situation that has been described as a "murder epidemic" [3]. At the forefront of these high levels of violence are gangs ( [4], p. 1) that are more flexible and persistent than previously thought ( [5], p. 409).…”

Dimensions of Gang Issues at the National and International Level

“…The contemporary trends of organised crime show the changing scale and nature of gang networks.' Specifically, there is concern that increased transnational interconnectivity may lead to national problems of violence and conflict spilling over into other (western) nations, or indeed that a range of once-local gangs are increasingly involved in criminal networks that link them far beyond the neighbourhood' (see Winton, 2014). It can be stated that gangs are found all over the world and today often respond to the changing spaces of globalizing cities (Winton, 2014).…”