Youth Gang Violence in Honduras

Abstract

By building on existing research, this entry discusses the controversial concept of a youth gang and with that the presence of youth gang violence. In doing so, a specific focus on Honduras is applied. Three different approaches are used to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing academic research on gangs: a conceptual approach, a society-wide approach, and a community approach. Consequently, the entry is divided following the three approaches. Using a conceptual approach, the issues and problems in developing a definition of a gang, and with that of gang violence, are examined. Despite controversy, a number of common gang criteria are prolific in the existing academic gang literature, and four of the most common criteria are presented and elaborated upon in this entry: a collective identity, high levels of violence, youth membership, and urban activity. Subsequently, the society-wide approach is used to explain the presence of youth gangs in Honduras. It becomes clear that to explain gang presence in a specific setting, it is important to take various contextual levels into account, among others the global, regional, and national context. Lastly, building on existing ethnographical research, the community approach discusses the influence of youth gangs on the everyday life in Honduras. In doing so, the four common gang criteria are used to determine gang presence on a community level.