Protocol for a Systematic Review: Preventive Interventions to Reduce Youth Involvement in Gangs and Gang Crime in Low‐and Middle‐Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Abstract

BACKGROUND The Problem The involvement of young people in gangs and gang crime is not only an issue in western nations, but also across low- and middle-income countries. Research demonstrates the existence of youth gangs in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, with much of the evidence coming from Latin American nations (Decker & Pyrooz, 2010; Gatti, Haymoz & Schadee, 2011). Although official and academic estimates of gang membership differ, estimates put the number of gang members in Central America at up to 200,000 (UNODC, 2007), and research suggests that over 85,000 people are members of gangs in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras (Seelke, 2013). In South Africa, it is estimated that there are up to 100,000 members in Western Cape alone (Reckson & Becker, cited in Decker & Pyrooz, 2010). Gang activities – and particularly those of youth gangs – contribute significantly to the violent crime problem in low- and middle-income countries. The cost of violence in Latin America is estimated at approximately 14.2 per cent of GDP – almost three times the proportion of GDP reported in industrialised countries (Seelke, 2013). Gang violence makes up a significant proportion of this cost: the annual cost of violent crime in El Salvador is reported at US$ 1.7 billion, with gang violence accounting for 60 per cent (Seelke, 2013)...