Youth Gangs in Central America or the difficult search for justice in a violent society

Abstract

As of the 1960s, a new type of grouping emerged among young people living in the poorer neighborhoods of Latin American cities, in Mexico they are known as chavo banda (gangsters). Regarding the Central America region, where they are called Maras and juvenile gangs, this article gives a view on the history and extension of these groups, and analyzes their social characteristics,activities and significance. The research pays special attention to cultural models and the notions on values and social relationships in gangs. The author sounds out the motives and causes which lead young people to organize themselves into this type of group, placing special emphasis on the theme of violence and interpreting the behavior of gangsters as a difficult quest for a fairer society.