Gangs and Maras in Central America

Results from self-report surveys

Mauricio RubioUniversidad Externado de Colombia

Confronting Crime and Violence in Latin AmericaCrafting a Public Policy Agenda

July 2 - 3 2007

outline

the data

overview: gangs & youth violence

gangs & poverty

joining the gang

gangs & girls

public policy issues

the data

IADB financed

5 Self report surevys in Honduras (2), Nicaragua (2) & Panamá

n > 8500. 61.4% students

1st time (LA) “presence” “power” of gangs is measured

one of few with control group

• Main restrictions

IABD has an agenda in terms of prevention programs.

Not a globally planned exercise. From police records to victimization surveys to self-report

Learning by doing. Trial & error vs comparability. Adapting to local situation

Main (unsolvable) limitations

• “Remember if” is a risky simulation of cohort studies

• Out of school sample is not random (priority to anonymous questionnaire)

overview

gang incidence

overview

gang incidence

overview

feeling safe & victimization

overview

feeling safe, victimization & gangs

overview

gangs & power

overview

gangs & offences

overview

gangs’ share of offences

overview

gangs & crime

gangs & poverty

socioeconomic status (SES) perception

SES indexchecked by

respondent’sexpenditure

familyincome

potential

gangs & poverty

gang membership by SES & schooling

gangs & poverty

gang connections by SES & schooling

gangs & poverty

SES distribution of gang members

not so differentfrom the general SES distribution

gangs & poverty

high SES violence

gangs & poverty

SES & arrests - gang members

gangs & poverty

young, poor & out of the gang

gangs & poverty

SES, school, gangs & offenders - 1

gangs & poverty

SES, school, gangs & offenders - 2

gangs & poverty

SES, school, gangs & offenders - 3

gangs & poverty

SES, school, gangs & offenders - 4

gangs & poverty

risk factors - offenders

joining the gang

risk factors - gang membership

joining the gang

SES, family background & gang membership

joining the gang

running away from home

joining the gang

making friends in the gang

joining the gang

dropping out of school

joining the gang

labor or mating strategy?

joining the gang

labor or mating strategy?

Two hints: - “primitive wars” between gangs- tatoos

joining the gang

gangs & sex GANGS AND EARLY SEXUAL ACTIVITY% THAT IN EACH STEP REPORT SEX BEFORE 13

6 713

40

54

10

20

3134

47

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

no gangs inbarrio

gangs in barrio friend in gang novio(a) ingang

gang member

women men

FOR EACH STEP AVERAGE AGE OF FIRST SEXUAL RELATIONGANGS AND AGE OF SEXUAL INITIATION

14.4 14.3 14.3

13.8

13.5

14.3

13.6 13.5 13.413.2

12

13

14

15

no gangs inbarrio

gangs in barrio friend in gang novio(a) ingang

gang member

women men

* Among sexually active

GANGS AND SEXUAL TURNOVERFOR EACH STEP AVERAGE NUMBER OF SEXUAL PARTNERS IN LIFETIME *

1.9

3.95.0

5.8

14.4

3.9 4.0

5.7 5.4

11.1

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

no gangs inbarrio

gangs in barrio friend in gang novio(a) ingang

gang member

women men

GANGS AND ROMANCE% THAT IN EACH STEP REPORT BOY OR GIRL FRIEND

80

74

92

100

69 70

91

97

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

no gangs in barrio gangs in barrio friend in gang gang member

women men

joining the gang

gangs & sex (out of the gang)

gangs & girls

gangs & gender violence

many “feminicidios”seem gang related

gangs & girls

gangs & gender violence

many testimonies of “pimp gangs” - “el trencito”

gangs & girls

gangs & prostitution

similar incidence(students)

other similaritiesboth boys in gangs & girls in prostitution

high victimizationhigh drug usehigh self-report of offencesshare risk factors (sexual abuse, running away, dropping out)

need early prevention

gangs & girls

gangs & prostitution

public policy issues

who is the relevant policy maker?

global phenomena (gangs, drugs, migration)

LA: local problem & national institutions

coordinating NGOs and agencies (with a strong political agenda)

diagnostic must be local

with common data gathering methodologies

programs should be independently evaluated

poverty & violence is still the theory behind most prevention programs

not always fits the data

perverse incentives (hot barrios get more resources)

biased against girls

mating issues need more attention