Central America’s Female Gang Culture
The gang world has always been viewed through a predominately male lens, however the gang culture seems to be in the midst of a feminine revival. Many Central America countries have spent decades fighting gang wars on their streets, leaving most with the view that it is boys who make up this violent subculture and that girls are merely victims to the violence. However girls are not only the victims, but they are increasingly becoming the predators. Gangs today are ruling many of Central America’s streets, especially in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, and increasingly the members are female.
In Guatemala’s gang girls give and take abuse, including those girls joining the Mara Salvatrucha or other criminalized gangs. Girls in the gangs are increasingly committing acts of violence, however girls continue to experience high levels of abuse, including sexual attacks from fellow gang members. Beatings are also not uncommon in the the gang underworld and those do not stay in line with the gang soon find themselves in a world of abuse.
Many girls join the gangs to fill the void of love and acceptance that they do not receive in their own families, looking to the gangs to essentially replace them. Sadly the gangs bring little love, and only inflict more abuse and brutality on already vulnerable girls;
“I thought it would be like my family,” Benky said of her reason for joining the gang, asking that her full name not be used. “I thought I’d get the love I was missing. But they’d hit me. They ordered me around. They told me I had to rob someone or kill someone, and I did it.” (Abuse Trails Central American Girls Into Gangs)
For now it looks like Central America’s girl gang culture will continue to rise, as girls search for acceptance from abusive homes and lives. The girls of the street need acceptance, but the gangs look to only bring more heartache and abuse, thus much needs to be done to increase gender focused youth outreach on the streets to see that girls issues are addressed. Prevention and support programs for domestic abuse may look to help limit the numbers of girls joining gangs, however it is not enough as the gang culture is deeply rooted in many communities, leaving many young people to see it as their only option and way out.