Neither War nor Peace - International comparisons of children and youth in organised armed violence

Summary: International study on children and adolescents in organised armed violence in ten countries on four continents. The findings of the study were presented at the Latin American Regional Consultation on Violence against Children.

Marcelo Monteiro - Millions of young people out of school, exposed to drugs
and with little future. Children and adolescents as young as 11 years old
use firearms to defend turf in conflicts with police and rival gangs; All of this
with the direct or indirect participation of corrupt police and the connivance
of politicians. This, in addition to poorly planned repressive measures, a
lack of family planning and an absent State have caused violence rates to
skyrocket over the last several years in at least ten countries on four
different continents. In some of these countries, the number of deaths
caused by firearms is greater than in countries officially at war. And worse:
most of the victims are under the age of 18. The average age of gang
members is 13.5 years old.

This scenario is analysed in the book "Neither War nor Peace -
International comparisons of children and youth in organised armed
violence". The book challenges popularly held notions of armed conflict,
delinquency and crime. The COAV site features an online-version in English,
Portuguese and Spanish.

"They are not delinquents, they are not child-soldiers, and the problem is
very serious and happening in various places throughout the world," said
English anthropologist Luke Dowdney, author and organiser of the study.
The book and research project are a continuation of Dowdney's first
book "Children of the Drug Trade," which addressed the use of children
and adolescents by Rio de Janeiro's drug factions. "Poverty,
marginalisation, heavy weapons, cocaine and repressive policies are part
of the daily reality of various cities in the world."

In order to carry out the study, financed by Save the Children Sweden,
Ford Foundation, DFID and World Vision, and coordinated by Viva Rio and
COAV, Luke Dowdney counted on a team of local researchers working in
favelas, ghettos and marginal areas in twelve countries (Honduras and
Haiti were not included in the book due to the inability to gather sufficient
data). The study's objective was to better understand who are the children
and adolescents involved in armed violence; and to understand the
motives that drive them to use firearms and violence against other youth
as desperate as them for a better future.

After twelve months of research, Dowdney has brought together the
results from 120 interviews with members of gangs such as the Comando
Vermelho in Rio, the Mara Salvatrucha in El Salvador, Bloques Cacique
Nutibara in Medellín, the Egbesu Boys in Nigéria and the Black Gangster
Disciples in Chicago.

"There are dozens of factors that explain why youth are involved in armed
violence, and dozens for why they don't become involved. For every risk
factor, we have to discover a protective factor. The research allows us to
begin to consider solutions," says Dowdney.

"Neither War nor Peace" is divided into three parts: the first compares the
groups investigated in each country; the second describes the participation
of children and adolescents in the groups; and the third compares civil
society policy and projects; concluding with recommendations on how to
treat the problem. The book also includes reports divided up according to
city or country (these documents will be available on the COAV site).

To read an interview with Luke Dowdney, visit the COAV site.