Prevalence and Patterns of Street Gangs in the Caribbean

• In Event: Juvenile Gangs in America, Europe, and the Caribbean: Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Abstract

Street gangs have been emerging across the globe for decades, challenging the rule of law and disrupting citizen security, health and education, as well as local economies. The Caribbean, like other regions, faces the challenge of determining whether its gang and gang-related problems are significant and, if so, of determining their magnitude, history and region-specific causes, their social and economic costs, and their potential remedies. The purpose of this presentation is to assess the gang problem in the Caribbean. Specifically, through the use of a multi-methodological approach and using data collected from over 12,000 youth in schools and in detention, this presentation assesses the incidence, prevalence, and factors associated with gang joining in seven Eastern Caribbean nations, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana. Policy implications and recommendations are discussed.

Authors

• Lidia E. Nuno, Arizona State University

• Charles M. Katz, Arizona State University