Risk Factors and Protective Factors Associated with the Entry, Stay and Desertion of Young People to Gangs

Experiences and Interpretations from Participants

Abstract

Three groups of individuals related to gangs in El Salvador were investigated in order to identify risk factors and protection factors that motivate or avoid the incorporation to these outlawed groups. These three groups are: convicts gang members or witnesses testifying under a plea-bar- gain agreement, former gang members and individuals that have lived in gang influenced neigh- borhoods, but decided not to be members. The consulted theory allowed the analysis of some socializing environments such as family, school, friendships and residency. The aim of this is to know the experiences and interpretations that have forged the decisions of the participants of each group. From a qualitative research approach, it was prioritized the interpretative phenomenological design for the analysis. It was found that the incorporation and resilience to gangs is a tough decision with constant efforts for the individuals. Moreover, each group gives explanations that try to “socially” rationalize their behavior: gang members try to maintain a lifestyle at the expenses of the population by the means of their crimes, generated fear and the power they hold. Ex-gang members have to reincorporate to the prosocial life and look for ways to break the reticence and rejections from the population. For this, religion gives them the possibility of “mingle.” Finally, the resilient ones, who managed to “get ahead” without interfering with the gangs, take pride in their condition.