7 News Belize

What Makes Boys Join Gangs?
posted (November 26, 2010)
Dr. Herbert Gayle's Report on Male Social Violence in Belize was released on Monday and since then the 403 page document has been getting around.

We still haven't digested the whole thing; it is loaded with information and statistics and provides a sometimes chilling assessment of the culture that breeds crime.

One authority on the document is researcher Nelma Mortis - she and a team of volunteers worked with Dr. Gayle for months - and for free - to compile the definitive document.

When we spoke with her on Tuesday, she discussed one of the more compelling studies in the research, and that is: what makes young men enter gangs?:

Nelma Mortis, Researcher
"What the research found out like you said a lot of environmental problems. Vulnerable resource, poor families, social isolation, social neglect, lack of educational opportunities - which is a significant indicator of violence - stigma and prejudice against communities is another one and of course we have a lot of nightmares of social boundaries and we got it even from the youngest child in the study which eventually we are now seeing glimpse of political tribalism and of course gang turfs. One of the major things that I think we found out and is important to note is that these social boundaries help to create what is termed as social organization and gang formation. Social organization of violence because they become people's frame of social identity and it is passes on from family to family. We have noted that in the study we see generations at least 2 or 3 generations of the same social violence being passed on from family to family or within families. The study shows that children are exposed to some serious traumatic experiences in terms of the violence that have affected them which also has a psychological impact on their whole overall development because it then breeds anger and if there is not early intervention then there we go, we lose another child to the gang formation and violence."

Next week, we'll have more from the study.

You can view and download the PDF version of the report here:
http://issuu.com/7newsbelize/docs/male_social_participation_and_violence_in_urban_be

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