As the title of this publication states, the phenomenon of youngsters engaged in organized armed violence is not the same as our general understanding of “war” – but it is even further away from our general understanding of “peace”. In several regions of the world the level of insecurity related to this problem is making youth violence one of the top priorities on government agendas. Special measures are being considered particularly in order to repress youth gangs; some of these conflicting with basic international standards and the advances made since the Convention on the Rights of the Child was ratified. As this report shows, the search for quick and repressive answers to this deeply complex problem may aggravate the current situation.
The situation is complicated. To act without an understanding of the risk factors behind this violence may be ineffective and sometimes dangerous. This study brings us the personal life stories of gang members, giving insights on their influences, motivations and fears. Such insight is too often overlooked in broad policy strokes and political rhetoric.
Excerpted from the Foreword by Paulo Pinheiro, Independent Expert, UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence Against Children
