Shut In, Shut Out: Barriers and Opportunities for Gang Disengagement in El Salvador

The long arm of the gang: Disengagement under gang governance in Central America

“…With this approach, we do not ignore the importance of the personal determinants in gang disengagement. Findings from research in Latin America and our prior work in El Salvador (Bergmann, 2022;Cruz & Rosen, 2020) are consistent with approaches underlining emotional maturation processes and life-course trajectories (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990;Pyrooz, 2014). Instead, we bring attention to the conditions that shape the social relationships of gang members and can be encapsulated in the study of gang governance.…”

“…These groups organize and operate differently in each country. In contrast to theories that underline the personal processes of maturation and life‐course events (Bushway et al., 2003; Laub & Sampson, 2001), we highlight the importance of political and socioecological factors in the individual behaviors conducive to desistance (Bergmann, 2022; Sánchez‐Jankowski, 1991). Hence, how a defector disengages depends on the gang's power and its ability to rule the territories where it operates.…”

“…They are territorially based organizations that have survived for more than three decades. They are recognized as key governance actors in most underprivileged communities (Bergmann, 2022; Cruz, 2010; Wolf, 2012). They mostly comprise youths with solid group identities and norms, as well as clearly defined roles for their members (Cruz, 2014).…”

“…Those explanations are applicable in Central America, especially when considering the individual's cycle of group membership and its associated behavior (Cruz & Rosen, 2020). As Bergmann (2022) pointed out, however, the gang's features play a critical role in how individuals exit the gangs, especially the institutionalized groups in Central America.…”

“…Where gang groups enjoy elevated levels of organizational coordination and broad territorial reach, like in El Salvador, religious conversion is one of the most frequent exit strategies because gang groups with nationwide territorial claims need assurances that former members will not become competitors anywhere. Indeed, high levels of urbanization and an extremely high incarceration rate have contributed to territorial control and organizational sophistication (Bergmann, 2022; Savenije & van der Borgh, 2015; van der Borgh, 2019). Behavioral transformations prompted by religion and curated by local churches, however, significantly contribute to providing assurances.…”