Youth Gangs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of Predictors and Interventions

• In Event: Evidence-Based Crime Policy I

Abstract

Youth gangs and gang violence are widespread across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly because many LMICs experience or have experienced some form of war or conflict, providing a fertile ground for gang formation. In order to reduce the prevalence of youth gang violence in LMICs, it is important to first identify the factors that are predictive of young people joining youth gangs, and then to identify interventions that are successful in preventing gang membership. We conducted two Campbell-registered systematic reviews; one examining the predictors of gang involvement, and the other examining the effectiveness of preventive interventions, in low- and middle-income countries. The search of published and unpublished literature was conducted in seven languages, with no date constraints, and yielded over 45,000 records. We synthesized the effect sizes from eligible studies using random effects meta-analysis with inverse variance weighting. Whilst the meta-analyses relied on quantitative impact evaluations, we included qualitative studies to provide a narrative review on the barriers and facilitators of implementation success, with a focus on practical, policy-focused implications from the literature. We present the findings from both systematic reviews, along with a discussion of the issues encountered along the way.

Authors

• Angela Higginson, University of Queensland

• Kathryn Benier, University of Queensland

• Yulia Shenderovich, Cambridge University

• Laura Bedford, University of Queensland

• Lorraine Mazerolle, University of Queensland

• Joseph Murray, Cambridge University